Hilary Koch: How to keep going after ‘Quitter’s Day’

I’m a firm believer in tough love. And if you can’t take it, you may want to skip this column —because I’m about to dish some out. If you’ve been eagerly waiting for

today before starting on your New Year’s resolution, if you’ve been thinking, “This will be the year I …,” I have bad news: Odds are you won’t be successful. Oh, your

heart may be in the right place. But the cold, hard, depressing truth is you’re probably going to fail. If you’re lucky, you’ll squeak out two weeks of sticking to your

resolution of eating healthy, exercising, getting outdoors, what have you, and then you’ll fall right back into your old habits. I read an older study revealed 80% of people

abandoned their resolutions by the beginning of February, which I suppose wasn’t all that inspiring to begin with. But a more recent report from the social fitness network Strava

indicated 80% will quit by the second Friday in January. They even have a name for it now. The second Friday in January is known as “Quitter’s Day,” the day when most will

fail to realize their resolutions. Unless. Unless you try a different approach. You may know I decided to take on a challenge of my own beginning mid-2022 into 2023, a physical

body (as well as emotional) transformation. While this wasn’t a “resolution” per se, I’ve stuck to it. I’m exercising regularly, I’ve lost 25 pounds, and I’ve learned

a lot. Consider swapping the term “goal” for “resolution.” As we’ve already established, “resolutions” are far too easy to cast aside mere weeks into the new year.

Conversely, “goals” are things we really want, and we’re accustomed to “working hard” to achieve them. Now choose a goal that is specific, attainable, and measurable. For

example, exercising three times a week is more reasonable than every day. Eating healthier, or eating more fruits and vegetables is good, but too vague. Perhaps incorporate one

fruit/veggie per meal? Starting your workday with projects, and checking/responding to emails after 10 a.m. might make you more productive, though you could miss an important

email. So, consider allowing for a read-through of email subjects at the beginning of the day. Also, choose a goal that isn’t dependent on other people. Goals that require

outside validation – like losing weight to get someone to like you or wanting a promotion. Unfortunately, despite your hard work, you may not achieve your goals. This isn’t to

say that working toward a promotion isn’t worthwhile but may not be a suitable New Year’s goal. Once you’ve chosen your goal, find a way to track it and hold yourself