“Quitters Day” is upon us

“Quitters Day” is here!

Research shows that the second Friday of January marks the day when motivation fades and most New Year’s resolutions fall by the wayside. By the third week in January, 80 percent of those good intentions have been abandoned.

This is why I propose setting goals instead of making resolutions.

The definition of “resolution” is a firm decision to do or not do something. Ouch, that hurts. That’s like saying, “I will NEVER have a warm, chewy, chocolate-chip cookie ever again.” And I don’t know about you, but I like the prospect of a chocolate-chip cookie in my future. Maybe that’s why most resolutions are abandoned within the first month.

 
A goal, on the other hand, has a much more palatable definition.

Goal: the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result. The words “ambition,” “aim,” and “desire” feel much better than “resolution,” with its tough-love implication.

And research in positive psychology indicates that people who set goals and work towards achieving them have a greater sense of happiness. Isn’t that awesome?

Once you set a goal, you can experiment with taking specific actions to achieve it. If those actions don’t work, you can try something new.

When you reframe your efforts this way, your focus shifts to curiosity and learning. If your goal is to exercise on a regular basis but find that running hurts your knees too much, try something else. It doesn’t mean you’ve failed; it means you need to keep experimenting until you find the exercise that works for you.

So this year, in honor of Quitters Day, instead of making resolutions, consider setting goals for yourself.

What would you like to accomplish in the next year? What are you curious about? What experiments interest you? Please share in the Comments section below (which incidentally increases your chances of success significantly!).

Here is a worksheet to help you get started: Goal Inventory Checklist.

The Walking Book Club Update

Thank you to everyone who participated this past year. All of The Walking Book Club Discussion Group posts have been tagged, by book and topic on The Walking Book Club Facebook page. If you wish to catch up with a selection you may have missed, you can now follow along at your own pace by clicking on “Popular Topics” on the right side of the discussion board.

Here’s our ranking and reviews of last year’s selections:

Topping the list, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah was our favorite, followed closely by her most recent release, The Great Alone. Both received 4.9 out of 5 Sneaker Ratings.

“I really liked the story and [The Nightingale] kept me moving; I found myself not wanting to stop just to find out what happens next. I love historical fiction and strong female leads, so it was a winner all around!”
— Trisha

“I have a new author I love. Her descriptive writing is a pure joy to read/listen to. I loved the story [of The Great Alone] and all the characters. Great book.”
— Maureen

 
The Woman in the Window, by AJ Finn, and Liane Moriaty’s latest release, Nine Perfect Strangers, rated 4.5 Sneakers.

“Took me 70 minutes of walking on the treadmill to finish the last chapters of the book. This time I couldn’t stop! The last 10 chapters [of The Woman in the Window] especially were intense.”
— Laura

 
A few of us snuck in Educated, a memoir of Tara Westover. Listeners rated it 4 Sneakers.

“The best result that I received was finding the motivation to get up and get moving again in an effort to be healthier. A secondary benefit is that I have lost 5 pounds in the past 6 weeks! I have really enjoyed the books as they motivated me to walk. I was also very motivated by the weekly just-for-fun challenges and prizes. I liked having discussions on the Facebook page and getting to know some of the participants better.”
— Karen

Our next formal selection will start in the spring. In the meantime, please join me in an informal round listening to Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens.

Here’s to setting and achieving your goals in 2019!

P.S. January is a great time to book a Discovery Session with me! Getting support can make all the difference in setting optimal goals and finding the tools, tips, and tactics that will work for you!