PEOPLE LOSE THEIR WAY WHEN THEY LOSE THEIR WHY

KNOW YOUR WHY
By
January 27, 2025
PEOPLE LOSE THEIR WAY WHEN THEY LOSE THEIR WHY

The start of a new year feels full of possibility. Goals are set, resolutions are declared, and for a while, motivation is high. But as January fades, life has a way of creeping back in. Old habits return, responsibilities pile up, and the excitement of a fresh start begins to waver. Sound familiar?

You’re not alone. Statistics show that most New Year’s resolutions lose steam by mid-February. This tends to be due to unrealistic expectations. It takes time and hard work to build new habits that lead to real change. Unfortunately, too many of us want to see changes right away. When that doesn't happen, we start to give up and look in other directions.

BREAKING THE CYCLE

There are two main components to this "New Year Cycle." One is your WHY. The other is your effort.

KNOW YOUR WHY

The truth is, resolutions fail because they’re often rooted in the surface level—the what (lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier) rather than the why. When life gets busy, it’s easy to let go of goals that don’t feel deeply connected to something bigger.

Revisit your Why. Ask yourself WHY DOES THIS GOAL MATTER TO ME? WHAT'S AT STAKE IF I DON'T FOLLOW THROUGH? Your "why" should go beyond aesthetics or quick fixes. It's about how you want to feel, lead, and live. The deeper you dig as to why you want something, the easier it is to stick with it. Keep asking yourself why.

-I want to lose weight. Why? Go beyond looks. How will losing weight make your life better? Keep asking, keep digging, and find your true Why. Visualize yourself achieving your goal and what your life will look like, feel like? What is different? Why is it better? The more connected you are to your Why, the more you understand it, the easier it will be to reach it.

ASSESS YOUR EFFORTS

The next step is to begin setting small, attainable goals that will keep you moving in the direction of your Why. Sustainable health changes happen with consistency. Focus on the small steps that don't overwhelm you and lead to frustration and quitting. Start building small habits that become a little easier each day. Commit to taking a 10-minute walk every day, or swapping one unhealthy meal for a nourishing one. Do not try to tackle everything at once. Break your big goal down into small, actionable steps that you can focus on one at a time.

Embrace progress, not perfection. Life is going to throw you curve balls and try to knock you off track. Get right back on as soon as you can. Stand strong with your Why but be flexible in your approach. Lose the "all-or-nothing" mindset. You are human. You are going to make mistakes. Do not let them define you, though. Every choice you make is an opportunity to choose better. So after a not-so-great decision, choose better with your next one! What you do once in a while does not matter as much as what you do all the time.

This is where your self-evaluation comes in. Here's the hard truth -- nothing works unless you do. Let's be honest with ourselves and give an honest evaluation of our efforts. Are you truly giving your best efforts? Have you been consistent with your small habits? Have you given it enough time? Is it something you're going to stick with long term? Real change requires consistency and patience.

Weight loss is a goal for almost everyone, so let's use it as an example. You didn't gain the extra weight overnight, you can't expect to lose it that quickly, either. Losing weight requires consistency, patience, and hard work.

It can be pretty easy to drop a few pounds right away. Cleanses, fasts, fad diets, etc. Drastically restricting your calorie intake leads to rapid weight loss. But it is not sustainable long term, nor healthy for an active body, but that's for another day. The key to consistency is finding something you "enjoy" so that you'll stick with it. Find foods that fuel the body that you enjoy eating. Find an exercise routine that you enjoy and look forward to doing every day. Health, wellness, fitness, weight loss, any goal for that matter, is a process. You'll never reach them if you don't learn to enjoy the process. Don't starve yourself, don't restrict yourself, don't commit to an activity that you hate and know darn well you won't stick to. It's a game of trial and error, but keep looking for what works for you. What will you honestly stick with long term to start living that healthier lifestyle. That's the keyword...lifestyle.

CONCLUSION

Let's go back to visualizing your life attached to your Why. You cannot reach that version of you without adopting the lifestyle that the new you now lives. You have to embrace the changes required to make a change. It's a long process between point A and point B. Many changes have to occur along the way. Stay connected to your Why and honest with your efforts, and you will soon be living your best life.

Don't give up on yourself. You're worth it. Change is hard, but being stuck in a place you're not happy with is even harder. Choose your hard.

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