It's that time of year again! Endless amounts of people take to their Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and declare their set of New Years resolutions. Maybe you're one of them! More often than not, one or more of these resolutions have to do with losing weight, looking better, eating well, attaining some kind of new fitness skill / PR. Then it's usually followed up with that oh so original saying (sarcasm) "It's a New Year, Time For A New You!".
Stop, just stop.
Yes it's a New Year, but there is no "New You" and you didn't have to wait for the New Year to actually make a change.
It's great that you're looking to make changes in your life for the better. It's an excellent choice to take control of your life and start training with purpose, eating whole foods, and assessing your weaknesses. But it's going to take more than the year changing over to a new one on a calender to make you follow through on those promises to yourself.
Ever wonder why so many people say they're going to lose weight, watch what they eat, drink less, and at the end of the next year they're still where they were last time? It's because New Years resolutions don't work and they're just a sexy fantasy. Seriously, do you really think your whole prospective on life, work ethic, and bad habits will all do a 180 as soon as the clock strikes midnight? No, of course you don't! So why lie to yourself? Why wait until midnight on a certain date to start?
Real lasting changes are made by following small steps, laid out in a realistic action plan, with a clear goal in mind. Bad habits are not cured over night, and new positive habits are not formed in a week. It takes consistent effort, will power, and some times a little sacrifice to create lasting change.
Every single day you wake up is a chance to start on the path to better habits. Every single day could be a step in a better direction. You don't need to wait for anyone or anything, you can start right now. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are real lasting changes in your life. Best of all, they don't have to be that difficult and you don't have to set lofty goals at first, start small.
For example, you need to lose weight but you're diet isn't so great, you're not training often, and you drink too much. Start small by committing to training 2-3 times per week. Plan on having only 4 "cheat/reward" meals a month. Commit to only allowing yourself 4 drinks per week or try 2 weeks without any alcohol. Work towards those goals diligently and meet them. Then step it up a notch. Commit to training 3-4 times per week, only have 2 cheat meals per month, and avoiding alcohol for 1 whole month. Meet those goals, and then set new ones, bigger ones, better ones ... but still manageable.
Small changes, adjusted over time, make the gap towards your goal a more manageable feat. This makes your goals a reality. This is how you start becoming a much better version of you ... not a "new you". Don't lie to yourself, stop feeling terrible, and start acting on your goals now. Make the changes, put in the work, track your progress, and set small goals. Reach those goals, conquer them, and move onto new things. Do this, and you'll love where you are next year when everyone else is still making excuses and new "resolutions".
If you're unsure of how to start, where to start, or you need help achieving your goals, there are always options. Seeking out professional advice and guidance from a skilled fitness coach is a great place to start.
"Today is victory over yourself of yesterday. Tomorrow is victory over lesser foes." - Miyamoto Musashi
- Tim
WWW.JUNGLE-FIT.COM
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