I am going to come right out and say it. I don’t believe in making diet and fitness based New Year’s resolutions. I think people who make them are setting themselves up to fail. I am even willing to walk out further on this limb and say that half of the people reading this have had the same health-related resolutions to lose weight and exercise for the last five years, while the other half don’t even remember what they so fiercely resolved to do come March 15th. So how’s that working for you?
New Year’s resolutions, while well intentioned, are flawed by design. We have such grandiose plans for ourselves, particularly after the gluttonous few weeks that proceed January 1. Too often these resolutions focus on the results we want, instead of the behavior and mindset we need to adopt to get ourselves there. That is akin to mailing a letter with a street address, but no City or State (or stamp for that matter!). In order to illicit the true changes in behavior that these resolutions require, we need to set realistic, specific, measureable and attainable goals. Each macro-goal should be made-up of a series of micro-goals to keep us motivated and on task. We need a well-thought out game-plan as well as several back-up plans, because if I have learned anything in my 30 plus years, it is that life throws curve balls. It is how we react to these curveballs that define us. Most of the resolutions I hear thrown around include exactly none of the above, so with the first bump in the road, most folks jump ship. Their all-or-nothing approach has left them up-stream without a paddle.
It isn’t that I don’t believe we should always strive to be better. Quite the opposite, in fact. But why wait for January 1st to become the person you want to be? Isn’t every day, every meal, every workout an opportunity to be better? That is what I believe. So you had a doughnut for breakfast, big deal. Doesn’t mean you have to have a milkshake for lunch. Turn it around. Grab a healthy lunch and throw an extra circuit in your workout. If you are yet to make friends with the gym, add a mile to your evening walk, or add a walk to your evening. Take every moment as an opportunity to make yourself feel better. There will be failures: skipped workouts, extra cheat meals, etc, but it is how quickly you rebound from these hurdles that will measure your success. Be flexible, stay positive and you will find your road to success.
Don’t wait until January 1st (or next Monday, or the Monday after that) to feel better. Feel better now. You owe it to yourself. Making small healthy changes on a daily basis can add up to big things and will set you on the path to meeting your goals. As you start to feel better, (and with a healthy lifestyle, you WILL feel better) your resolve will only strengthen. Change can happen any old day of the week or year, so put yourself on the path for a healthier tomorrow, TODAY!
Happy New Year!