Ah, fellow travellers, we approach New Year's Resolutions. It’s not just anecdotal. Research confirms what we already know: New Year’s Resolutions are fragile as a Viking shield made of paper. According to Strava, January 19th has been dubbed Quitters’ Day, the day when most people abandon their resolutions entirely. Barely halfway through the first month, the battlefield is already littered with the broken promises of the hopeful.
But why? Why do resolutions fail faster than a raid against well-fortified walls? And, more importantly, how do we craft resolutions that stick like a blood oath to Odin himself?
The Good: Bold Ambition
There’s power in the turning of the calendar, a primal urge to shed the skin of last year’s mediocrity and stride into the new year as a conqueror. Resolutions tap into that energy—they’re our battle cry, our declaration of war against complacency.
The first step is always noble. Goals like “Get stronger,” “Lose weight,” or “Eat better” are well-intentioned. The world needs more warriors willing to challenge themselves.
But here’s the kicker: A warrior without a plan is just a fool with a sword.
The Bad: Fragile Strategies
The problem with most resolutions is that they’re like a drunken boast—grand in scope, weak in execution.
Too often, we set goals without anchoring them in reality. A pledge like “Go to the gym every day” sounds heroic, but life is not a straight road; it’s a stormy sea. Without contingencies, the first wave of disruption will knock your resolution overboard.
And then there’s the myth of motivation. We lean too heavily on fleeting feelings of inspiration, thinking the fire will always burn bright. But real warriors know that discipline, not motivation, carries you through the darkest days.
The Ugly: The Quitting Spiral
By January 19th and most motivation fades, many people do what they do best—quit. It’s easy to justify: “Life’s too busy.” “It's just one day” But this act of surrender leaves behind a nasty psychological scar. Every abandoned resolution is a reminder of failure, a blow to confidence that makes it harder to step up to the challenge next time.
The cycle repeats, year after year, until the very idea of a resolution becomes a joke.
The Drengr's Battle Plan: Resolutions That Last
Let’s reforge the way we approach resolutions. A Viking knows the importance of strategy, resilience, and adaptability. Here’s how we can ensure your goals don’t perish on Quitters’ Day:
Start Where You Are
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Guthrum didn’t create Danelaw in a week. Forget that time you were smashing your goals and remember what it took to build to that. It's okay, sh*t slides around yule, or maybe your whole year slipped. Instead of hitting it day 1, balls to the wall all-out carnage, focus on rebuilding your army. For example; before you can get to peak nutrition, you may have to start at getting your life in shape more generally. Once you've embedded this habit, then you can start to build performance.
Habits, Not Outcomes
We are defined by what we do, not the goals we set. Habits are the ship, the engine that carries you towards your goals. Goals become irrelevant, particularly weight focused ones, without the ship to take you there. Focus on what you're going to DO! Then, when you do set goals, calendar dates are better i.e. - "I'll run the Yorkshire Half in May" or "I'll sign up to the Viking Games" *wink* - doing stuff is going to get you to those weight goals etc, not the goal itself.
100% Hit Rate
Broken promises are what accelerates the decline. We're trying to build a new lifestyle here not a quick fix. Ask yourself this question when setting goals; "If even on my worst days, my busiest days (or weeks) I had to hit my target 100% of the time, what sort of target would I set?" With that in mind...
Keep it Broad
Yes, I spit in the face of so called SMART goals "Thwack!" instead of "I'm going to hit the gym every day" - "I'm going to exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes a day" - you're much more likely to be able to find a 30 minute slot to do any exercise, e.g. a walk, even when sh*t's hitting the fan in your life. Then hit it, 100% of the time.
Plan & Track
Remember your 7P's. P*ss poor planning, promotes p*ss poor performance. This is especially true if you've got weekly or monthly tracked habits rather than daily ones. Don't leave it until Sunday to realise you've got 30kcal left for the day, obviously you're going to fail. You need to plan what you're doing and when. Then track it. Another adage for you: "If you do not measure it, then you cannot manage it."
Pobody's Nerfect
Adapt and overcome. Don't let a missed habit become an excuse. You have to remain mentally agile and resilient. If you've had a bad week, don't brush it off, analyse that sh*t. See point 3, if you're not hitting your habits are they broad enough? Are you planning for success? What new habits do you need to introduce? For example, not hitting nutrition goals might be a result of poor shopping habits rather then 'motivation' - see point 1 - start where you're at.
A Final Word
New Year’s Resolutions aren’t inherently bad—they’re a reflection of our desire to improve. But without proper care, they’re as fleeting as snow in spring.
This year, make a resolution to stick to your resolutions. Embrace the long game, sharpen your discipline, and treat every day as an opportunity to forge the warrior within.
Quitters’ Day? Not for us. We’re in this for the long haul. The road is hard, but glory was never meant to be easy.
Here’s to a year of conquering, crushing, and carving out the best version of yourself. Skål to the resolutions that will stand the test of time!
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Ready to join the ranks of warriors who don’t quit? Check out The Viking Virtual Challenge and let us help you unleash your inner savage. 🛡️
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