January 1st begins the year in our western culture and January was named after Janus, a mythical Roman king. He was a king of beginnings who was also the guardian of doors and entrances…perhaps, a kind of mythical ‘bouncer.’ Depicted with two faces, one which looked backwards and one looking forwards, the Romans saw him as reflecting upon the old year and looking forward to the new.
Of course this is something we all continue to do to this day, many of us tend to look back at the past twelve months and reflect upon the highs and the lows, our achievements and our disappointments alike and we look forward to the new year and often feel full of hope for new beginnings and new opportunities.
The Romans believed that Janus could forgive them their wrong-doings and so, many gave gifts and made promises, believing that Janus would then bless them throughout the coming year.
This tradition continued and became what we have today where many people make promises to themselves and to others. These promises consist of such things as stopping smoking or to see more of the kids or to lose weight…and a thousand other things.
We now call them resolutions and the unfortunate thing about resolutions is that most people fail at them. Research shows that only 8% of people are successful at converting their resolutions.
Did you make any resolutions last year? Did you stick to them? More than likely not, I’m sure. Was one of these resolutions to get fit and lose x amount of pounds? You were going to start jogging right? You may even have bought the running shoes and track suit or maybe you paid a subscription to the local gym? Be honest now…how long did it last? One month, maybe two? And now at the end of that year when you were going to achieve so much, so many things that you were going to change about your appearance and life-style; how did it end up? Did you lose that weight? Do you have that six-pack that you so desired?
I hope the answer is yes…but unfortunately statistically, the likelihood is that the answer is no.
Let me tell you where you went wrong.
Resolutions! Do not make them! Most of us hate feeling compelled to do something even if it is from our own compulsion. When you make resolutions you only put yourself under unnecessary pressure to perform and then you broadcast it to all your friends and acquaintances. Being motivated is essential and of course you must have goals if you are going to achieve anything in life but new years resolutions are not the way.
You stand a far better chance if you decide positively that you are going to lose that weight or drop two dress sizes or whatever it is…and then just do it! Tell your partner or perhaps a sympathetic friend if you must but do not broadcast it around as a resolution, because the problem with resolutions is that when your best friends give up on theirs, or your partner stops doing what they were so going to keep on doing forever; then you may feel inclined to give up too.
Follow us here at how can I stop eating and we will do our best to guide you and encourage you through your weight loss battle in 2011.
Let’s make this the year when you achieve your goals.
We wish you luck and success and every happiness in all of your endeavours throughout the coming year and beyond.
