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We’re almost 2 weeks into the New Year. Statistically speaking, 35% of people who make New Year’s resolutions break them by the end of January. Now, I don’t tell you this to discourage you or to haphazardly spew out facts, but quite the opposite, to encourage you (read on).
Until last year, I belonged to a nice gym for about six years. And as a year-round “regular”, in all honesty I would dread this time of year. Just driving up to the parking lot was overwhelming trying to find a spot with all the extra people. On one hand I’d look around at the “newbies” and be proud of them for taking that first step to get healthy. But on the other hand, I knew the unfortunate truth for many of them that the club would be back to “normal capacity” by mid to late February.
I know that sounds harsh, but the good stuff is coming, so stay with me.
The thing is, it was really not their fault that they didn’t stick with that resolution to get healthy or lose weight. It wasn’t their lack of resources, motivation, willpower, or even a loss of interest. I mean, I guess it could be a little bit of these, but in my opinion, it’s not the REAL reason.
If this has ever been you, why do you think your workout mojo dropped so quickly after the first of the year? What if I told you it’s all in your HEAD (and your heart)?
That’s right! The mind is a powerful thing!
Since the mind is designed to recognize behavior patterns and create habits from them, we can easily get stuck in our own behaviors. We’ve all heard that people are creatures of habit, and this is the case for either good or bad habits.
In order to change a “bad” habit into a healthy one that we can maintain, we must change a behavior. Let’s take the habit of drinking a daily pop, for example.
Ask yourself, what is drinking this pop giving you? Think about the driving force behind the habit -- this is the “why”. Is it the pick-me-up from caffeine? Is it your opportunity to get up from your desk for a while when you go to get it? Is it just something you’ve always done at 3pm? Why?? This is one step to changing a behavior and getting past obstacles stopping you.
But there is something even more important you should be asking yourself than the “why”. What if I asked you how you felt about making these healthy changes? I think you may be surprised where your mind and heart will take you.
What is being triggered with your thoughts of weight or fat loss? Fear of change? Anxiety? Overwhelm? Self-doubt? Let me assure you, these are all valid feelings, and you are not alone.
Fears are just reactions from our negative beliefs. However, once fears are identified and conquered – we truly start to live. Think of your biggest fear like the parking break of your car. If you try to drive with it on, you’re not going to go very far.
Don’t let fear control you. YOU control what you think and feel, so you control your fear. Let it lead you where you want to go, not let it stop you from moving.
Here are some more quick tips to keep you going:
Visualize the end, but ENJOY every part of the journey– vision boards are great as a reminder of your intentions.
Define your intention – S.M.A.R.T goals have a step-by-step plan on what you want to achieve and how you will benchmark your progress.
Keep a strong mindset – be and stay mentally prepared and as positive as you can for the hard work and any obstacles you may encounter in the beginning.
Your biggest cheerleader,
Nat
