Another Year, Another Resolution
So it’s the New Year and this is the year that your life is going to change! It’s the year that you are going to get into shape and improve your health; it’s the year that dreams are going to come true. Hmm… maybe. We are now at the end of January. So how is the motivation for the New Year going for you so far? Who knew that January was so busy? A new year often starts full of hope and energy, but sticking to a New Years Resolution is something many people struggle with. In reality 92% of all New Years resolutions are never followed through on.
Making changes to achieve your goals aren’t as easy as just going out and buying the latest fitness gear and signing up at the local gym in a burst of enthusiasm that starts to fade by the end of January – have you noticed this? If you truly want to make lifestyle change, a more planned and considered approach is essential to ensure success. Here are 5 tips to keep you moving throughout the year – not just at the start!
1. Figure out where you're at! Often we are delusional about where we are starting from and we try to do too much and end up blowing ourselves out of the water. It’s important to be realistic about our capacity and current physical fitness. Every step forward is a step closer to your health.
2. Get some inspiration! Choose an activity that will be fun, something that will fill you with positive emotion when you do it. Also choosing something that you have never done before will get the juices flowing. You might be surprised at how good you are at something or just how much you enjoy it.
3. Make it social. If your friends have let you down then consider joining a group who do an activity that you enjoy. This can often inspire you to attend regularly and be more challenging then exercising alone. There are local swimming squads, dancing classes or team sports where you can hangout with like-minded people.
4. Plan your ideal week. This is where you mark out the time you think you have to be active. Research tells us that people who plan their activity in their diary are far more likely to do it. We make plans to get married, arrange our day or our week and even our next holiday. It’s the same for our health and fitness – being organised and committing time to it is the key.
5. Set a milestone. You can do this on your own or with others. It can be as simple as “I will aim to complete a 5km fun walk” or as “challenging as “ I will complete the City to Surf” Setting a milestone to achieve adds more interest and gives a great sense of achievement. Consider something in your state - whether it is an ocean swim, walk/fun run, a mini triathlon even!
6. Buddy up. Ask a friend or work colleague to start up with you or ask someone you know who is already doing it. This way you learn together or learn from someone who already knows and will help you with both in the training and the actual event.
7. Realise it will take time. Often we get impatient and give up on the goal too soon. Give yourself some time to achieve the goal. We actually get more satisfaction if we have had to work for a while to achieve success. You will need time to practice or, dare I say it, train for the actual event. We recommend setting a goal that would take 1-2 months of training to achieve.
8. It won’t be easy. Accept that sometimes despite our best efforts things get in the way – a work commitment, an ill child or partner or even an injury. Don’t give up on a goal if this happens – just refocus and strive to continue to take action.
9. You won’t be perfect. It takes time to build a healthy lifestyle and there will be times where the plan falls apart. But as the saying goes “Winners do what others don’t want to”. Get back on the horse and don’t waste time beating yourself up over it.
And don’t forget to congratulate yourself when you succeed and see what goal is just another month or two of training away… Success breeds success!
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