A brief rant on New Year’s resolutions.
Is it just me, or do most people make asinine resolutions for New Year’s?
We’re coming up on the time of year that makes me dislike the weight room: January, when all manner of people descend upon the gym sans clue and assume they can pull a glorious new routine out of their oversized asses through sheer willpower. Fortunately, sheer willpower erodes faster than the aforementioned adipose tissues, so 95% of the resolution-folk are gone by February.
Yes, I understand that people dislike being out of shape. Great. No complaints here. But don’t assume that anybody can break all those years of bad habits just by singing “Auld Lang Syne”, and don’t assume that anybody will have the abs of an underwear model after just one month of exercise.
Now. I have seen some people make a fitness-related resolution and stick with it, so I know that fitness-related resolutions can work. However, those resolutions have all been of the following format:
- “I resolve to be lifting weights three times a week by the end of June.”
- “I resolve to eat fast food no more than twice a month by the end of March.”
- “I resolve to drink at least 2 liters of water each day by the end of January.”
Notice a pattern here? They’re specific, they base their resolution on their own actions instead of on some state of being, and they are gradual about implementation. None of this “I must be this poorly-defined thing right NOWNOWNOW” crap.
I don’t expect anybody to take this advice; this, of course, is why I labeled this a “rant”. But anyway.
(And before I forget — please put the weights back when you’re done with them, and remember to wipe your sweat off seats and pads after every use.)
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