Every January millions of South Africans set fitness goals, business targets, and personal-growth ambitions. It’s a way of asserting control following a year when they may have felt swept up by stress, falling short of wins, or not being able to control the world around them. Consistently, research has shown that anywhere from 80 % to over 90 % of people abandon their resolutions within the first couple of months.
According to neuroscience and mental fitness coach, hypnotherapist, and endurance athlete Liezel van der Westhuizen, “the issue isn’t motivation - it’s mental bandwidth.”
“We don’t fail because we’re weak,” she explains. “Our brain simply runs out of energy. Too many choices, too little recovery time, and no training of the mental muscle all come together to make consistency impossible”.
The Reasons Resolutions Collapse
• Research by goal-setting theory founders Edwin A. Locke & Gary P. Latham explain that well-defined, challenging goals lead to higher performance – but this will only occur when combined with realistic systems and mental readiness.
• The brain’s prefrontal cortex - responsible for focus, planning, and self-control - can only handle a small number (about 3 to 5) major goals at a time. By mid-January, many of us are drained from constant decision-making, and succumb to what’s known as choice fatigue.
• According to positive-psychology reviews, goal setting done correctly can significantly impact motivation and performance.
• However, setting a goal is simply step one. Without subconscious alignment and mental fitness support, many fail. Studies show that the inner desire (intrinsic motivation) is stronger than external pressure in goal achievement.
“It’s like running a mental marathon every day without refuelling,” van der Westhuizen says; “…eventually your brain puts on the brakes to protect you.”
The Hidden Killers of Success
Van der Westhuizen highlights two internal patterns that sabotage resolutions:
• Restlessness – perpetually chasing the next new idea or quick fix, never staying long enough to embed habits.
• Being Judgmental – a harsh inner voice that uses every slip-up as proof you’ll never succeed, thereby draining your confidence and momentum.
“Most resolutions emerge from a place of stress or fear,” says van der Westhuizen. “Success only comes when you shift from the ‘Saboteur Mind’ to the ‘Sage Mind’ - a part that’s clear, creative and emotionally grounded.”
A Smarter Way: The 4D Goal-Setting Model
Instead of the traditional “New Year resolution”, van der Westhuizen champions a 4-Dimension (4D) goal-setting model - which aligns neuroscience, hypnotherapy, and mental fitness practices. She cites studies indicating that multi-sensory, emotionally charged goal setting can enhance long-term success by up to 60 %.
The 4 Ds:
1. Define It – Choose goals that trigger emotion and meaning, not just logic.
2. Design It – Visualise, hear, and feel the success - creating neural priming.
3. Do It – Take small daily actions; micro-movements build consistent neural patterns.
4. Deepen It – Use repetition, subconscious training (such as hypnotherapy/PQ-style reps) to align the mind beneath the surface.
“When your subconscious believes your goal is safe and achievable, the conscious mind stops resisting it,” explains van der Westhuizen, and “that’s when real change sticks.”
The Brain-Reset Ritual
Rather than launching another resolution list, van der Westhuizen recommends a 10-minute daily ‘Brain-Reset’ to build mental stamina and resilience:
• Sensory Grounding – 60‐second focus on breath, sound, or touch to calm the nervous system.
• Micro-Visioning - Boldly imagine not just what you’ll do, but how you’ll feel when you’ve succeeded.
• Mental Fitness Rep – One short exercise to intercept the saboteur voice before it hijacks your day.
• Endurance Mindset – Treat mental training like endurance sport: consistent, sustainable, not just intense bursts.
“You don’t need more willpower - you need mental recovery,” says van der Westhuizen. “Train your mind like an athlete, and your goals will follow.”
# “MomentumWithoutMayhem” Campaign
This January, van der Westhuizen launches #MomentumWithoutMayhem — a month-long series across radio, social media, and corporate platforms. The campaign helps South Africans build mental stamina, regulate stress, and create sustainable success using neuroscience, hypnosis, and Positive Intelligence tools.
What Is a Mental Fitness Coach?
A mental-fitness coach helps you train your mind the same way an endurance coach trains your body. Using neuroscience, hypnosis, and PQ tools, Liezel guides clients to rewire the brain for better focus, emotional control, and resilience.The results:
• Less stress, more clarity
• Fewer self-sabotaging patterns
• Long-term success without burnou
