New Year Resolutioners and Motivation

Well it is that time a year again. All regular gym goers know what I am talking about: New Years Resolutioners. New Years is that magical time of the year when everyone decides they want to get in shape and sign up for gym memberships. A noble goal? Very much so. The problem is that, other than the spontaneous decision to get in shape, they put forth no effort to educate themselves prior to showing up at the gym which typically places them into one of two categories.
First off are the cardiobunnies (typically females) who want to lose weight and be healthy. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that but the problem is they all seem to have the notion in their head that if you touch a single weight you'll automatically turn into Ronnie Coleman and that cardio is the only way to lose weight. These are ideals are both wrong. To get as huge as say Ronnie Coleman it takes decades of near flawless weight lifting, dieting, and dedication (along with some other things*cough*). Meanwhile the myth that cardio is the only way to lose weight needs to be dealt away with. Hell I myself am sitting at around 10% bodyfat (average is 18-24% in males) and I never do cardio. Ever. Weightlifting, especially supersetting, burns an insane amount of calories and can easily be a replacement for cardio weight loss. Plus when you do drop all the weight you actually want to have some muscle to be healthy and look good. You don't want to be a twig. Cardio is good for overall healthy but is no means the exclusive weight loss exercise.
The second category of New Year Reso's are the curlbros. These are the guys that come in everyday in attempts to get "swole" and just do bicep everyday with maybe a little chest and abs. Their sole purpose for working out is to look good to the opposite sex. Well I suppose if that is your only motivation who am I to say your motivation isn't valid but the problem is their means of achieving this is absurd. They completely neglect their legs and back which are your largest and strongest muscles and they are also the muscles that have the most functionality. Not to mention if your arm is as big as your leg that makes you looks absolutely ridiculous. Wanting to get stronger and in shape is an honorable goal but at least put some effort  into making a some what legitimate workout.
In my opinion the reason you won't see 90% of these people a month from now is because their goals and motivation are set in the wrong place: vanity. They are only putting in effort because they want to look good. There is nothing wrong with the goal as long as it isn't exclusive. It doesn't make for a very good cornerstone of an exercise routine. Personally, I got into fitness was to improve my health. When I was in second grade I got pneumonia which was followed up by asthma. It was the worst feeling in the world as a young kid and becoming completely winded after only going up a flight of steps just because my lungs were weak and filled up with fluid. So what did I do to combat this? I started exercising. Just mildly and casually. I wasn't very serious about exercise and lifting until a year or two ago but even the little things made life so much easier for me. Now I have pretty much completely outgrown my asthma and it rarely, if ever effects me anymore. My primary motivation of health has easily kept me dedicated my whole life. Other main motivators for me are strength and more energy. It is a great feeling when you realize after a long period of being active that suddenly everything is requires so much less energy and effort. It just feels as life gets easier. Now that's not to say I don't enjoy all the other perks of being in shape such as vanity but they should by no means be your sole reason for getting in shape. Choose something that truly matters to you deep down.
One final reason the New Year Reso's drop their gym membership is a simple lack of knowledge. They give into socially normal routines, believe tons of myths, and ignore their diet. I could write a whole other post on this but I will maybe save that for a  later date. Instead here are some websites that have helped me expand my knowledge over the years.

• http://www.bodybuilding.com/ Contains a plethora of fitness information.
• http://www.shapefit.com/training.html All the information for various lifts you can do.
• http://www.simplyshredded.com/ Another good information site.
• http://boards.4chan.org/fit/ Warning: this one can have a lot of screwed up shit on it, it's 4chan after all. Primarily its dark humor but you can occasionally find a gem in a pile of shit. The stickied post is also very useful.