Make your 2025 resolution last!

A resolution is set with the best intentions but often results in disappointment. There’s a logical reason why.

It was missing a few essential steps to become a lasting change.

HABITS AND BEHAVIOURS

Understanding what drives our habits and behaviours we want to change is the first step to a successful resolution. 

Habits are subconscious actions that occur due to environmental cues or triggers. For example, when it’s time for bed, you likely head to the washroom and brush your teeth. Or, when you wake up in the morning, you first make yourself a coffee or tea. These habits require little thought or effort to convince yourself to do. They occur automatically because the cue of bedtime or waking has triggered the trained, habitual action.

A behaviour is an action we consciously decide to take. For example, going to a fitness class is a behaviour. You could equate a resolution to a behaviour.

Habits guide our behaviours. Some habits can benefit the success of a conscious behaviour we wish to change, like choosing a healthy meal. However, habits can also hinder change. Going to a restaurant where you struggle to resist the unhealthy option. The menu at the restaurant becomes the cue that triggers the unwanted habit.

Habits can be physical actions, mental actions, or emotional actions. A positive emotional habit is feeling great after a workout. The opposite is talking yourself out of a workout. The habit is the trained response to the cue, the workout, triggering the response, getting to the gym, or talking yourself out of it. 

Therefore, learning to create positive behaviours that turn into positive habits is the key to lasting change.

Change requires effort in neurological mindset, psychological willpower and desire, and environmental considerations.

NEUROPLASTICITY

‘Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change and adapt due to experience.’ It’s worth mentioning that understanding there’s a science behind habits and change can set you up for success. 

The brain can form new neural pathways by repeatedly engaging in new behaviours.

This is best done by focusing on small, consistent changes. If your resolution is to drink more water, eat healthy, and exercise regularly to lose weight, this drastic change, attempted all at once, will fail 99% of people. 

Instead, break it down into smaller steps. Start with a framework of each new habit, then choose one thing to do first. Once the behaviour forms a habit, add the next behaviour you wish to change.

MAKING SMART BEHAVIOUR CHANGES

The classic SMART goals philosophy is essential in creating new habits with lasting change.

SMART stands for:

Specific: clearly define the goal

Measurable: the goal should be measurable to track progress and success

Achievable: the goal should be challenging yet attainable

Relevant: the goal should be aligned with your values and your ‘why’

Time Sensitive: the goal should have a target date

Using the example above, drink more water, eat healthy, and exercise regularly, starting with one small change. Drink more water. 

S: Drink 2 L of water per day

M: Use a 1 L bottle filled in the morning and consumed until lunch, filling it again after lunch and consuming by dinner

A: 2 L is a good starting point to build up to the average recommended consumption of 2.7 to 3.5 L per day*

R: 2 L is relevant to the goal of drinking more water 

T: make a conscious effort every day for 14 days to allow for the new habit to form

STACK HABITS

A trick to implementing a new behaviour you'd like to form as a habit is to stack it with an existing habit. 

Getting into the habit of drinking a glass of warm water with the juice of half a lemon first thing in the morning contributes to your daily water consumption, helps immunity by providing some Vitamin C, helps the body produce collagen, and aids digestion. 

But how do you make it a habit?

If you already drink a cup of coffee or tea first thing, consume a glass of warm lemon water beforehand. The cue is the coffee or tea that triggers the new behaviour of drinking the warm lemon water first. 

IDENTIFY YOUR ‘WHY’

Forming new habits takes motivation and discipline. However, motivation can be quickly lost if you are unclear as to why you want to create the new habits. Take time to write down why you want to form new habits and make lasting changes.

Be specific and detailed. If losing weight is your goal, go beyond weight loss as the reason for making habit changes.

Why do you want to lose weight?

What would it feel like if you lost the weight?

What would it feel like to make this a lasting change in your life?

What changes would be sparked emotionally and mentally by getting to this point in your life?

Being crystal clear on your ‘why’ will help tremendously with your discipline and motivation. 

MAKING YOUR RESOLUTION STICK

If this information makes sense and hits home, you could be ready for our Transform 360 Program. Using a combination of successful courses we've created in mindset, nutrition, and movement, Transform 360 uses the science behind habits and lasting change, along with our combined 30+ years in the fitness and wellness industry, to help individuals achieve their dreams!

We know many have already picked their resolution programs, and that's great! Transform 360 will be starting on January 27th. We recommend starting with our Transform 360 Worksheet, which gets you thinking about your habits. Take the time over the next few weeks to pay attention to them. Note what is working for you and where you may be struggling.

* Recommended daily water consumption is based on weight, height, gender and activity level.