Don’t Be a Quitter

January 24, 2025 in Ask the Doctor, El Mirage Emergency Room, Health Tips

Don’t Be a Quitter

It’s a month into the new year, what used to be a favorite topic of conversation with friends and family is now practically a taboo topic; new year’s resolutions. If you’re finding yourself struggling to keep the resolution fire burning, you’re not alone. Columbia News reports that only 25% of people stay committed to their resolutions for over 30 days. And Ohio State University reports that 23% of people bail on their good intentions by the end of the first week of January. Despite these pessimistic statistics, your emergency care team at El Mirage Emergency Room believes in you. And because we want to see you succeed, we want to offer some tips for how you can beat the odds and keep strong with your new year’s resolutions.

  1. Work in increments

    There’s nothing saying that you have to go all-in on January 1st. In fact, it’s not a bad idea to implement gradual steps over several weeks. For example, if your goal is to cut sugar from your diet, you could take January to experiment with junk food substitutions. And then in February you could limit the days you eat sugary treats to two days per week. And then in March, when you really are ready to make the cut you’ll be prepared.

  2. Narrow your focus

    It’s easy to make sweeping statements of good will on New Year’s Day, but when it comes down to the day-to-day, broad intentions can be much harder to keep than specific goals. For another example, instead of saying, “I resolve to exercise more” it might be more attainable, and motivating, to say, “I resolve to lift weights two days per week and get 30 minutes of cardio three days per week.” 

    And in case you’re visually-motivated, here’s a fun way to keep track of your exercise progress: UPDATED YEARLY – Monthly Coloring Workout Tracker with Bonus Goal Tracking!

  3. Phone a friend

    Falling short of your resolutions already? Know a loved one who will be willing to make your life a little less pleasant if you don’t follow through with promises? When your inner voice is telling you it’s okay to _______ (scroll online for one more hour, eat that junk food, have just one cigarette, skip working out today), an accountability partner can serve as a helpful outer voice to keep you aligned with your goals.

  4. Get back up again when you fall

    We recommend embracing the “progress, not perfection” mind frame when it comes to making lifestyle changes. It’s inevitable that you’ll have some setbacks, and it’s important to learn from them and keep going. One bad day/week/month of falling back into bad habits is not a reason to tank your whole effort.

    You can do this – keep going.

  5. Remember your “why”

    What made you declare this resolution in the first place? How long have you had this goal? Why is it important to you? Staying focused on the reason you made your intention in the first place can help keep you motivated to keep going.

We believe you can rise above the statistics and make the lifestyle changes you need. The holidays may be long gone, but your health and wellness should remain a priority for the entire year. We hope these tips can help you remain strong for all of 2025 and beyond.

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