Beat 15 January 2024: Blue Monday

Why our new year’s resolutions fail and how we can build real sustained change

This year, Blue Monday is 15 January 2024. The day that, according to many, is the most depressing day of the year. The holiday season is over, and spring (in the Northern Hemisphere) still far away. It's a Monday and we spend too much time indoors. Not to mention how we feel about our New Years Resolutions. Many of us, have already given up on them.

Every year it’s the same story: fitness clubs welcome most of their new members in September and in January. Recent research in the US shows that after one week, 23% percent of new members drop out. Out of the remaining 77%, half of them stop somewhere in the next months. The result is that after two years, only 19% of us kept up with our good intentions. Research points in the same direction when it comes to people trying to quit smoking, losing weight, or drinking less alcohol.

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Everyone starts with a positive spirit to try to change. But the reality is, most of the time this is not enough. We know that there’s a huge difference between the intention and the sacrifice to execute. We fall back, again and again, into our old behaviors. We are vulnerable when we’re distracted, disappointed, or drained with energy. And the problem is, this will happen sooner or later, but we don’t prepare for it. We are too optimistic and deluding ourselves.

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So, what can we do to make 2024 a little better for ourselves than 2023? Instead of good intentions, focus on changing some of habits. Take these action steps:

1. Start small, don’t set huge goals. Starting is the most important step you need to take. However small it is. This is the reason Nike uses ‘Just do it’ as their tag line.
2. Share your new habit with two or three people that you trust. We know from research that sharing your goals with others increases your chances of remaining successful.
3. Give your trusted advisors a mandate to give you tough love if you need it.
4. Monitor yourself and use data. It will help you avoid sticking your head in the sand. It’s easier than ever to use technology as your guide: think about using smartphones and watches as your dashboard.
5. Continue practicing your new habits for at least 12 weeks and develop your new routine. After three months, you’ll notice these new habits becoming ingrained.

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Don’t rely on willpower if you want to change yourself for the better. Willpower is a finite resource, and you will run out of it sooner or later. Changing your daily habits is the best way forward. Over time it compounds and starts to pay huge dividends. A great book that dives deeper into this phenomenon is: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.

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