Let me paint you a picture: it’s a cold afternoon in mid-February, you find yourself surrounded by candy bar wrappers and ice cream containers, those new fitness tools you bought are gathering dust, and you’re wondering where it all went wrong. That motivated spirit and can-do-must-do attitude you had on January 1st have suddenly been replaced by a lethargy that Richard Simmons couldn’t break. Sound familiar?

It should. At some point in our lives, we all try the New Year’s Resolution thing — we get psyched up, pumped up, and fueled by the fires of Olympus in our quest to once and for all get it right — only to throw in the towel at the first bump in the road. Now, maybe you’re thinking: what if I just didn’t make the right resolution? Maybe if I just read the right book, promising healthy eating tips backed up by Dr. so-and-so, then I’ll finally unlock the secret to getting and staying fit.

Hate to break it to ya friend, but there’s a reason your hopeful, heartfelt, healthy New Year’s Resolutions are worth about as much as that laserdisc system you got in 1992. And the reason is this: the fact is there is only one resolution guaranteed to work for you — no resolution.

You heard that right. The reason your resolutions haven’t been working is that resolutions don’t work, not in the long run anyway. And at Studio SWEAT onDemand, we’re all about REAL — real people, real solutions, real change. So let’s talk about some of the reasons why New Year’s Resolutions aren’t the answer to staying fit.

Inspiration Doesn’t Last
Do you remember when you were in high school, and the last week of school was always this magically breezy time where everyone could be friendly to each other, cliques dissolved, and life was just dandy? Sure, but what happened at the beginning of the next year? When we’re feeling emotional, joyful, and nostalgic at the end of the year, we often feel a punch of hope and energy for the year ahead. But that inspiration doesn’t last the whole year — heck, you’ll be lucky if it lasts until St. Paddy’s Day!

Commitment Happens in the Here and Now
Someone once said that true success happens where you are, with what you’ve got. The same thing applies to your health. When you commit to your fitness, you make it for good days as well as bad. So you might as well choose to dedicate yourself to becoming healthier and achieving your goals right now, especially if you don’t feel up for it.

Dream Big, But Plan Small
When we set lofty goals, we’re just setting ourselves up for failure. Unrealistic expectations are the cornerstone of the inevitable shame that comes with us not living up to our fit fantasies. And here’s another thing — we’re not against plans we love ‘em! But they’ve gotta be smart plans. If you wanna lose 40 pounds, great, start by losing five. And then another five, and another, and another…

Resolutions Don’t Equal Connection
Another big issue we have with resolutions is that we tend to make one big promise backed up by all kinds of hope and motivation; but when it comes time to execute, all we remember is the promise and not the inspiration behind it! If you’re trying to get healthier in the New Year, or anytime really, you’ve gotta connect with your goals, every day. When you wake up in the morning, remind yourself not just what you wanna do, but why you wanna do it.

So… Now What?
Ok, so we’ve burst your bubble, crushed your dream of busting into 2021 with guns blazing. Good. Now we can get some work done.

If you want to get fit and healthy for the new year, we’ve got you. First, try adapting an intuitive eating philosophy into your lifestyle. How do you do that exactly? We’ve got a bunch of articles on the subject you can check out here.

Second, sign up for an All-Access Pass with Studio SWEAT onDemand. You’ll get unlimited access to our endlessly large library of streaming fitness classes, taught by the best trainers in the business. Not only that, but our tight-knit, worldwide community of members will be there to push you on, give you that motivation, and hold you accountable all year long! If you wanna just dip your toes into the magic of onDemand fitness, sign up for our 7-Day Free Trial today, and let’s reach those fitness goals once and for all.