Playing sports is one of the New Year’s resolutions that, almost all people, plan to carry out. Therefore, it is not surprising that during the first weeks of 2020 the gyms are crowded and the streets are filled with cyclists and runners.
This desire with which we all start the new year are the result of a motivation that, as time passes, dissipates. But what makes some people fulfill their New Year’s resolutions, but others don’t?
As he explains in his book Study of human motivation , David McClelland (professor of psychology at Harvard University) states that the motivation to fulfill a purpose stems from an initial desire , from the emotion to acquire a new skill and the pleasant sensation of progress.
However, why without discipline will it be difficult for people to fulfill their New Year’s resolutions?
iscipline is needed to accomplish the purposes
We must bear in mind that when we started the year we just arrived from the holidays . We are rested, full of desire to do new things and with that feeling of the new year that invites a change .
However, the laces, the changes that are not manifested, the fatigue of the work, the laces, the responsibilities … All this begins to be noticed from the second month.
That’s when we forget to play sports, we make excuses (it rains, it’s cold, I’m sick) and, little by little, that initial motivation is diluted . To all this, we add that in a month and without having made changes in the diet almost no change in our physique is appreciated, which frustrates us and causes us to throw the towel without looking. This could all be avoided with discipline.
Discipline is a set of norms and rules that we comply because it makes us feel good or because we should . For example, every day when we get up we brush our teeth, no matter how lazy this does not give. This is discipline and can also be incorporated into sport. How? Doing the most important thing is to gradually introduce it into our lives.
How to stay motivated?
What makes some people fulfill their New Year’s resolutions is the motivation they manage to maintain. Therefore, in order not to lose sight of our objective and continue practicing sports, it is convenient that we take into account some tips .
- Choosing an activity that interests us : it doesn’t have to be running, but practicing yoga, spinning or taking a walk every night after work. It will be impossible to feel motivated and be disciplined if an activity we do not like or do not interest us. There is a wide range to choose from!
- Start small : a habit is not built overnight. It is important to introduce some changes, for example, go to the gym two days a week, after one month add one more day and, thus, progressively. In this way, it will adjust to our lives.
- Meet people who like sports : if we sign up for targeted classes or go running every day in the same place, we will end up knowing the people we cross and who also practice this sport. Perhaps, we end up staying to play sports together or working friendship.
All these tips will be essential to achieve this discipline that will help us finally become people who fulfill their New Year’s resolutions. Also, over time, we will begin to see changes . We will notice how we lose weight, we feel more agile, our abs are marked. This will encourage us to continue striving and improving.
Although the motivation allows us to make decisions and begin to take those steps to introduce the sport in our lives, only the discipline will achieve that this New Year’s purpose, finally, we fulfill it . We will not always feel like it, sometimes the weather will not be the best …
But how many times have we overcome laziness and, having played sports, have we felt great? Let’s not let this year be another frustrated attempt to introduce the exercise between our habits .
Let’s choose well, let’s start slow and be patient. With discipline we will be able to know, finally, why some people fulfill their New Year’s resolutions and why before, we, weren’t able to do it.