The New Year is here. Have you thought about your new year's resolutions? The one decision that you probably set every year and most often fail is the health and fitness resolution. Getting into shape and reclaiming your health is a hard task to accomplish, especially when education, discipline, focus, support, and dedication to one's self has to be consistent. I’ve found that over the past 25 years of working with people and supporting them in the pursuit of their goals, we as humans want things to happen rather quickly. This task of getting into shape and reaching optimal health and fitness takes a real lifestyle change, and changing your lifestyle takes time, and positive habits formed.
I have a few suggestions that will help make this new year's resolution a successful outcome this year and propels your life forward this new decade. First, let us not call it a new year resolution anymore because there is nothing new about your past failures in this area. Let's shift to calling it what it is "Life Now' I know it sounds funny, but being real it is 'Life Now' and action has to be now. The first thing is to be transparent and honest, let someone know what your goals are, and the person that you tell should be someone in your life that has a positive impact on you and will embark on this journey with you and help you establish positive, healthy habits. They will provide you the support, drive, and motivation to be successful. Once you find your supporter, you need to seek out professional help and guidance. With all the misinformation about nutrition and dieting and the myths about weight and cardiovascular training floating around the internet, you need to seek out someone who is educated in health, fitness, and nutrition and can provide you the knowledge, plan, and tools to be successful.
Along with being educated, this person must mesh well with you, must hold you accountable, and must keep you focused on being consistent, so you're able to change your life by reaching your goals. You should also write down your goals and include a plan and the steps you need to take to be successful. Lastly, you should take a look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that no matter what, you will dedicate yourself and that you will not quit, and this is Your 'Life Now' and not a new year's resolution.
Find comfort knowing that you have all the power within you to change your life and that success is inevitable. Enjoy the journey because when you reach your destination looking back at the training, the discipline, and the sacrifices that you put forth will bring about an exhilarating feeling. It's not a new year's resolution. It's a healthy, active lifestyle you deserve.