Every first day of the year it’s easy enough to eat the only bowl of black-eyed peas you’ll have for the rest of the year and list off a few goals and habits you hope to kick or implement. With 364 days left—give or take— in the year, the possibilities feel limitless and motivation is high. In fact, a study done by NPR in 2018 reveals 12% of gym sign-ups happen in January. Based on that same study, the second Saturday in February is statistically “Fall Off the Wagon Day.” Studio Manager, Tami Bliss, shares the all-too-familiar cautionary tale of New Year’s resolutions.

“I think they can be amazing if carefully planned ahead of time. I have found the issue people have is they
go into it saying, ‘I’m going to lose 20 pounds,’ or ‘I’m going to attend 3 classes a week,’ and then they fall away from their goals by the time January is over. This only creates frustration and feelings of failure,” Bliss says.

What we really need is a shift in mentality. According to the European Journal of Social Psychology, it can take, on average, 66 days for a new behavior to become ingrained. Depending on the perceived level of difficulty and number of days missed, behavioral changes can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days. To top it off, there are four small steps in making a change to take note of: the pre-contemplation step where you actively think about making the change without any course of action, the thinking and planning stage without observable change, actualizing the new habit through routine, and bouncing back when the habit is dropped for any length of time. In fact, dropping off is considered a normal part of the process of implementing lasting change. Yet, many who experience something like “Fall Off the Wagon Day,” may internalize it as failure and struggle to jump back in.

The recipe for success seems to be a healthy balance of forgiveness, planning, perseverance and consistency.

Instead of only visiting your goals once a year, set up regular check-ins throughout the year so there is room to make adjustments. Bliss also shares some helpful advice on setting long-term and short-term goals.

“My tips for those who want to set a goal is to sit down now and write up what you want to achieve. What
does this look like? What does it require? What is your long-term goal and how will you set short-term goals to reach that long-term goal? What will be required of you and what happens if you fall back into old behaviors that don’t fit your new goal? Set up small, achievable goals that will help you reach your ultimate goal,” Bliss says.

Start and end the year with 30-day and 60-day fitness challenges!

In the fitness and health world, 30-day and 60-day challenges have surged in popularity. In fact, it seems challenges of all shapes and sizes for most topics are widely accessible ranging from exercise-specific programs to meditation, skincare and diet. Though one to two months doesn’t quite line up with the average requirement to turn change into habit, there are many reasons many seem to have positive experiences with challenges.