Do I Really Have To?

Do I really have to?

Why most New Year resolutions bite the dust.

The reason why most of us give up on our best intentions for the New Year is because of the deep rooted foundations of the resolutions. In essence they are based on obligation, essentially a feeling that we should get fit, should lose weight, should stop smoking but at the very core of it all, we really don’t want to.

In a previous career while working as a manager of yoga studios, I would observe how in January of every year, our studios would become bursting to full capacity with people wanting to get fit. Literally new starters would attend classes five or six times a week for the month of January, by half way through February the numbers would start to dwindle and by March we were back to our usual class numbers. This happened every single year without fail. This example of compulsive human behaviour always amazed me, you could almost time a person’s cut off point down to the very day.

This repetitive behaviour doomed to failure was fuelled by a sense of feeling that one should or ought to, all the while deeply not wanting to. The human spirit when it wants to achieve something is invincible, look at Stephen Hawking, Nelson Mandela, the Para Olympians. You may say they are the exceptions, however examples of the unwavering nature of the human spirit is alive and well with men and women overcoming incredible odds. Everyone who has overcome and survived a serious illness has had to dig very deep indeed and examples of human beings overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges can be witnessed all over social media.

We all have this ability to make a decision and follow it through. When compared to many of life’s challenges, getting fit or losing weight is child’s play, we could choose to make these changes in our lives at anytime. The key word here is choice, we always have a choice, every time we don’t go to the gym or every time we eat that extra eclair or buy a packet of cigarettes. We are choosing to do so. The idea that something is out of our control is a tired, old excuse, watch us go when we really want something, we are unstoppable!

So when deciding on positive life changes you wish to make, first ask yourself ‘Do I really want to make this change or is it because I feel I should or ought to?’ If the honest answer is ‘Yes I really want to’ then decide to set that amazing will of yours in motion, see yourself as having already achieved your goal and there is nothing that will stop you. The power to succeed at anything you set your mind to is there for the asking, just take the step and put that power into action.

I’m looking forward to hearing about your amazing results!