Only 11 Months To Go!
We are coming into that time of year, where New Years resolutions are starting to go out the window, and are becoming distant memories that will resurface again in 11 months. We are just about one month into 2019, and this is the time that people start to wain from their resolutions. They have realized that saying it is very different then doing it, and when it comes to building new habits that are sustainable, consistency is key. February 1st marks the day that every “veteran” gym goer celebrates, because all of the New Years resolution crowd start to file out, and the gym gets back to normal. If you find yourself in this crowd, stop what you are doing now and read the rest of this article! I am going to give you five action steps to make sure that your resolutions don’t disappear for the next 11 months.
Step 1: Make smaller commitments
Many people struggle to accomplish their goals and resolutions, because they set MASSIVE goals that are just to overwhelming. Setting a long term goal of losing 30 pounds is amazing, but when you are one month in and don’t seem to be getting close to that number, it is easy to give up. Instead of just looking at the end goal, break it down into smaller, more attainable goals. This will help you build some momentum by developing good habits through small wins each week. You are going to have a lot of ups and downs in your pursuit of reaching your goals, but if you can put yourself into a position to accomplish something positive on a consistent basis, you are more likely to accomplish your main goal. Here are a couple of examples of smaller, more attainable goals that can drive you through any plateau:
- DON’T say you want to workout everyday. DO say you will workout two times this week. If you workout more than that, it extra credit that you can use to adjust your weekly goals in the future.
- DON’T say you are going on a diet. DO say you will bring a healthy lunch to work everyday. Going on a diet is daunting, and in my 15+ years in this industry, I don’t even think I can count on one hand how many times a diet has been successful. Vowing to start by changing one meal a day will get you on track, and help you build good habits to start changing other habits.
Step 2: Find a gym buddy
When it comes to achieving your fitness goals, there are going to be a lot of peaks and valleys. There will be many days where you just don’t feel like going to the gym. There will be days where every cell in your body is telling you to go home after work, instead of going for that run. When you commit to working out with a friend, you are building in a support system to help get you through those days. The key to positive results is consistency, and if you give in to your inner voice telling you to go sit on the couch with a glass of wine, sooner rather than later this action will take over as the dominant one. When you are accountable to someone else, it makes it a lot harder to skip out on a workout. It’s easy to say no to yourself, but it is a lot harder to skip out on your workout partner. This will also give you a sense of ownership, because you won’t want to let your partner down if you let them skip out on a workout.
Step 3: Schedule your workouts and meal prep
If you were to look at my weekly calendar, you will see every minute of the day has something planned in it. This is done by design, because in this day and age it is very easy to get distracted by so many different things. This holds true to your workouts as well. if you schedule your workouts in a block of time a couple days a week, and see them as a meeting that you cannot miss, you will be more than likely to get to the gym during that time. By making a written commitment in your calendar, you will now be scheduling other meetings and activities around your workouts, instead of vice-versa. You will never come to the end of the day, and “run out of time” to workout because you got to busy. It will be scheduled into your day, just like any other important task that needs to get done.
Step 4: Pack your clothes
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” If you workout in the morning, lay your workout clothes out the night before. If you workout after work, pack your workout clothes and bring them with you to work. By eliminating the step of having to prepare the day of, you will have one less obstacle to overcome. It sounds simple, but it is one of the most important steps you can take to get back on track for your resolutions. Simple having your clothes, shoes and protein shake ready to go will significantly increase your rate of success in the gym. If you have to stop home after work to get your stuff together to go to the gym, chances are you will want to stay home at the end of a long day.
Step 5: Reward yourself
It is proven that in order to build a new habit, and change an old one, the reward must stay the same. The reason why we fall into bad habits is because the result of the habit makes us feel good. Let’s take for example smoking. A lot of people smoke, not only because of the physical addiction, but because of the feedback loop that is initiated when they light up that cigarette. Some action, either conscience or sub-conscience, will trigger the need to light one up. Which will then lead to a reward of feeling relaxed, less stressed, etc. The same holds true for good habits. If you establish a reward, you will more than likely build a positive habit. Let’s take for example if you like to enjoy a glass of wine at the end of the day. Everyday you pour yourself a glass of wine, and unwind on the couch to finish your night off before bed. Use this reward to help build the positive habit of working out and eating healthy. ONLY pour yourself that glass of wine when you have completed your workout, and ate healthy all day (or whatever your goal is). If you don’t accomplish your goal for the day, don’t pour yourself that wine. By building in the reward into your newly formed habit, it will ensure that that habit sticks for the long term.
These are just five simple steps to getting your New Years resolutions back on track. If you really want to achieve your goals over the next 11 months, please let us at Next Generation Training Center help you.
