Everything new?

Welcome to the new year! We're so glad you've arrived, but please don't get too comfortable and don't dwell too long on the countless Christmas stollen and gingerbread you indulged in without much remorse over the past few weeks, because from now on everything will be different.

After indulging in Christmas cookies, relaxing on Christmas Eve, and popping champagne corks on New Year's Eve, it's now time for discipline. Because with the turn of the year, we've once again become better people. Thanks to good intentions!

Rare peace and quiet in public swimming pools at the beginning of the year .

All joking aside: Of course, the vast majority of things have remained the same. Changing a date – however disappointing this may be for some year after year – doesn't automatically lead to a change in routines and habits. But why then do we still so readily make good – and often unfortunately the same – resolutions when we start the new year on New Year's Eve?

While the number 23 after the 20 probably still feels as unfamiliar to most people as a new pair of shoes that need to be broken in, we are full of energy and optimism in the first few days of the new year. Especially when it comes to plans in the areas of sports and a healthy lifestyle.

Who hasn't, in the first week of January, battled their way through a pool overflowing with athletic enthusiasm, shared a square meter with four others at the gym, or barely recognized their usually deserted running route for all the bustling legs? Who isn't particularly disciplined and conscientious in the first few days of the year when it comes to sticking to their training plan or regular exercise routine? According to Statista, it's not entirely surprising that the top 10 most popular New Year's resolutions among Germans are primarily things like "eating healthier," "more exercise," or "losing weight." Why are we like this?

Philipp Pflieger: "Life is an adventure and the art is to remain curious."

We actually know exactly where our weaknesses lie, and a fresh start, which the beginning of a year marks in many ways, comes in quite handy to postpone changes and improvements to this "zero point," but also to tackle certain projects precisely on this date. "I'll do it better starting January 1st" sounds more sensible to us than "I'll do it better starting August 17th." Even though that doesn't change the challenge we're facing in the slightest.

So far, so bad. To make matters worse, our initial euphoria quickly gives way to disillusionment and resignation. Why do we all often reveal ourselves to be incredibly inconsistent and negligent by the end of January? Are New Year's resolutions utter nonsense because we're all incapable of sticking to them and usually have to abandon them very quickly anyway?

The answer is quite clearly: No. Because, in itself, it only makes sense to recognize bad habits and traits and use the new year as an opportunity to change them. Even if, theoretically, this would be possible at any other time. And especially when it comes to taking on a sporting challenge, training for a specific competition, or simply setting the goal of running a kilometer continuously for the first time, a fixed starting point, which also enjoys a degree of social recognition, is perfectly legitimate from a purely psychological perspective.

A healthy and sporty lifestyle is among the most popular New Year's resolutions .

The catch? Simply using the end of a circle we've circled around the sun as our sole motivation is, in most cases, insufficient to see the project through. Without some other compelling reason, it quickly fizzles out, the goal slowly fades on the horizon, is eventually abandoned, or simply postponed until next year.

The realization that things aren't so simple after all, and that we have to push ourselves, weighs heavily when the magic of the new year gradually fades: the new shoes are long since broken in, and the daily grind and its old routines have us firmly in their grip again. Then the only thing that helps is to genuinely want to do things differently. Without a goal in mind to spur us on, and without joy in what we've set out to do, it will become incredibly difficult sooner or later.

Many New Year's resolutions fail at the beginning of the year because we approach them very narrowly, focusing only on the occurrence of event A (resolution kept, I'm doing well) or event B (resolution not kept, I'm doing badly). The problem isn't so much about giving in a few times. Instead, we immediately feel guilty when we make exceptions, rather than considering the bigger picture. It's perfectly okay to indulge when a colleague has baked an incredibly delicious cake, even if you otherwise make a great effort to eat healthily. Similarly, we haven't failed if we skip our run on days when we're otherwise far too busy.

Keeping their sights firmly set on the goal: Gustav Iden (left) and Kristian Blummenfelt (right).

If resolutions are merely a euphemism for "I subject myself to constraints," it's questionable whether we won't eventually give up in frustration. But if they are another way of saying "I've set myself a goal that I'll be proud of when I achieve it," then it suddenly becomes a journey along which we approach something we look forward to, something that even minor setbacks won't deter us from. Intermediate milestones can be just as helpful as small rewards. A new cycling jersey, a day off where you consciously put your feet up, or even just a bit of unashamed self-praise will bring satisfaction instead of dogged determination.

So, to sum up: We need to be genuinely enthusiastic about the whole endeavor, or at least have a good reason for it. And it doesn't matter whether that reason is finishing a long-distance triathlon in the summer or simply fitting into a wedding suit. It also helps not to question the plan after a single slip-up, but rather to accept that we're not perfect and to give routines time to develop. Humans are creatures of habit, and changing such habits requires significantly more energy and willpower at the beginning than when routines have become ingrained and run almost automatically.

A particularly powerful motivator can be tackling resolutions together, rather than alone. Having a "fellow sufferer" by your side, someone who, like you, sometimes has to grit their teeth but also provides encouragement and leads by example when you're feeling down, can make sticking to your resolutions much easier. A partner in crime with whom you can fall into each other's arms at the end of the journey and celebrate your shared achievements is by far the best guarantee for success when it comes to New Year's resolutions. Together, even a long run in the cold of a January Sunday morning can be fun. What are we waiting for?