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“It doesn’t matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.“ -Confucius
“Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” -Vince Lombardi
“The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” -Thomas Edison
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This blog is being written on January 19, 2026.
A little over a week ago, I watched with sadness as newscasters gleefully announced that January 9, 2026, had been proclaimed the unofficial “Quitter’s Day” for this year.
Newscasters proclaimed January 9, 2026, as the day that most New Year’s resolutions have already been abandoned.
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It made me sad to realize how happy they were to announce that the majority of Americans had again failed to keep their New Year’s resolutions. These failures occur in such great numbers that the media designates a day as “Quitter’s Day”.
It made me even sadder to realize that I agreed with them!
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As a lifelong “Gym Rat” I have seen this phenomenon occur annually for several decades.
First-time members appear at the gym in their new workout clothes. They excitedly attack gym equipment with fervor and zeal.
Problems occur as long-unused muscles and tendons quickly become sore and tender. Soreness, aches, and pains replace the fervor and zeal as the realization that this is not all “fun and games.”
This group becomes disenchanted when the extra weight accumulated over months or years fails to disappear after two weeks of exercise. “Quitter’s Day” is appropriately termed because this is the point when people realize that they can’t undo months or years of neglect rapidly and without effort.
Thus: Quitter’s Day!
Quitter’s Day is the unofficial day, usually the second Friday in January, when many people give up on their New Year’s resolutions.
A 2019 study found that approximately 80% of people who made New Year’s resolutions tapped out by the second week of January.
The “Quitter’s Day” trend was identified by Fitness app Strava. Strava showed reduced activity by mid-January. In 2026 this date was January 9.
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But I’m not going to sit here with a “Babin Booday”, reflecting on negative media, or living in a negative environment.
In Cajun French, “booday” means to pout, sulk, or be in a bad mood. This is often accompanied by sticking out your lower lip (called your Babin in Cajun French). It is often used when someone is playfully or genuinely upset.
Instead of “Boodaying”, let’s see if we can turn the tables on the newscasters and turn Quitters Day into the day newscasters quit speaking about negative news.
We’ll do this by identifying what precipitates quitting, and what can be done to overcome quitting.
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Why is it so Hard to Keep New Year’s Resolutions?
Overly ambitious goals– one of the biggest problems I see with new gym members, or anyone with a new resolution, is being overly ambitious. Instead of starting slowly, and allowing their bodies to acclimate to a new exercise regimen, people feel they need to attack their problem. The same could be said for people who try to quit smoking, quit drinking, or lose weight.
Lack of structure– another big problem is the lack of an organized approach. A gunfighter receives multiple notches on his gun belt from multiple gunfights. New gym members often think that exercising with more machines creates better results. They are unaware that five minutes on one machine will produce better results than one minute on five machines. Lack of proper structure means less than optimal results, which leads to disappointment and failure.
Fading enthusiasm– New members who happily arrive in early January quickly realize enthusiasm fades, and the real work of exercising rears its ugly head. “Newbies” realize the benefits of working out don’t occur quickly or easily. Enthusiasm quickly declines as “Quitting Day” approaches.
Lack of education– This could also be termed lack of self-awareness. Much of the pain and disappointment associated with “Quitter’s Day” could be avoided through proper education. Basic education about exercise, the physiology of muscles, and the function of caloric metabolism would help to avoid both physical and psychological pain.
Motivation killers– The biggest motivation killers are fear of failure, lack of clear goals, procrastination, distraction, and negative people or a negative environment. These motivation killers may hide underlying issues like stress, emotional fatigue, and lack of appreciation, which lead to increased stress, self-doubt, and inaction.
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Ways to Overcome Quitter’s Day
Eat the pie one slice at a time– I’ve related the story before of the patient who understood he could eat a whole pie if he ate it a slice at a time. Building a habit is much the same. Instead of changing twenty things in one day, focus more on making one small change in twenty days. On day 20, add the second thing you would like to change, and every 20 days move down the list. However, there is no magic time frame for building habits. There is no magic number for habit formation. Scientific studies suggest an average of about 66 days for a behavior to become automatic, with a wide range from as little as 18 days to over 250 days, depending on the person and the habit’s complexity (e.g., drinking water vs. exercising regularly). The popular 21-day myth stems from a surgeon’s anecdotal observations, not research, and a habit becoming a long-term lifestyle change can take around 90 days or more.
Create a system– I personally feel that one of the best ways to encourage a certain behavior or action is to make it as easy as possible. Create a workout schedule beforehand and write it down. Purchase necessary workout clothing and shoes and have them readily available. Join a health club before January. Be aware of hours of operation and peak usage times. There’s nothing worse than arriving at the gym in your new workout clothes to find that everyone else had the same idea, or even worse that the gym is closed when you would like to work out. Creating a workable system for any habit or action will facilitate more favorable results.
Focus on building a habit– whatever you’re trying to accomplish will be more successful if you concomitantly work on that habit or action becoming permanent. Focus on the actual habit formation versus a particular behavior or resolution.
Adjust and rebalance your plan– very few plans are implemented from start to finish without adjustment. NASA doesn’t launch a moon rocket with a set-it-and-forget-it philosophy. From launch to touchdown, there is constant monitoring. Your resolution may not require you to travel to the moon, but I’m certain that it will require adjustment and monitoring.
The five R’s– Use the five “R’s” highlighted in tobacco sensation (relevance, risks, rewards, roadblocks, repetition.)
Get out of your comfort zone– I’ve always found that getting out of your comfort zone is uncomfortable! In addition to being uncomfortable, it usually creates awareness and facilitates change. No one wants to remain uncomfortable, and most people seek a more workable solution which often creates positive changes.
Work on other health areas, such as sleep and hydration– in addition to focusing on resolutions and habit formation, working on other health areas can facilitate easier changes. For a smoker who feels the need to have something in their hands, carrying a water bottle and drinking periodically helps to fulfill that need. Someone unused to exercise may find they need more sleep. A person who overeats may find that drinking water creates the feeling of a full stomach and helps to avoid overeating. The list of possible combinations is almost endless.
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Final Thoughts
Many New Year’s resolutions fail, but failures may serve as chances to adjust goals and recommit to more sustainable resolutions. Instead of focusing on unsuccessful resolutions or results, focus more on the gains and habit formation.
“ Rome wasn’t built in a day”, and New Year’s Resolutions won’t be turned into habits in a day either.
Small changes over time have a better success rate than immediate larger changes.
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