Keep Your Fitness Resolutions, Avoid These Blocks
This is an interesting time of year. We’re into March and studies have shown that right about now is when people’s New Year’s Resolutions melt away like a snowflake in your hand.
Why is that? It usually has something to do with one or more of these four things:
Lack of a realistic plan - You don’t know what to do or when to do it.
Lack of accountability - Without anyone to answer to, it doesn’t feel like it matters if you do it or not.
Not really knowing your goals - If you don’t have an emotional connection to your goals, you won't push through when it gets hard.
Not thinking with the long term in mind - If what you’re doing isn’t sustainable (extreme diets or crazy workouts) you won't be doing it for long.
Sometimes people don’t realize all that goes into making a big change and that winds up making the change much harder than they thought it would be.
For example, if you’re going to change your diet, you need to:
Think over your shopping list, which used to be automatic.
Re-think your usual breakfast.
If you work in an office, you may need to bring your lunch.
Re-think your usual dinner (good luck on this one if you have a family.)
Find new recipes to make.
Take time to meal prep.
That’s when the all-time change killer, All-Or-Nothing-Thinking takes over.
“If I can’t do this 100%, I won’t do it at all.”
That doesn’t help, does it?
Instead of doing that, how about changing just one meal? Doesn’t that feel more manageable?
Let’s talk about the first thing on my list, the lack of a realistic plan. Why do people need New Year’s Resolutions? Because they want to do something they haven’t done before. That implies they don’t know how to do it, right?
The approach many take, is like if I want to remodel my bathroom and immediately walk into it swinging a sledgehammer. Maybe I’m being a little conservative about this, but I think a better approach would be consulting with someone who may have some expertise in that arena.
To sum it all up, New Year’s Resolutions are like any other goal. They require planning and forethought. They require knowing what works for you and what really means something to you. They require a realistic look at your life and circumstances. They may require some help, too. Don’t be afraid of that. Don’t just close your eyes and start swinging the sledgehammer in your bathroom.
And when all is said and done, remember that the goal is progress, not perfection, and progress can occur in tiny little steps. The pursuit of perfection above everything else usually results in no change at all.
