Produce Spotlight: Garlic
You know it’s January when the gym is full of new faces and the health food store shelves are bare…
Many people choose to make New Years resolutions surrounding their health, but regardless of the topic, many resolutions are left in the dust before the first few weeks of the year are up.
So what’s the secret of the elusive successful resolutions? Or do they even exist? The key is in the goal itself:
- Ambitious goals: you are capable of far more than you think is possible!
- Specific goals: rather than “I want to lose weight”, state your goal as “I will lose 30 pounds by March 31st.”. Saying “I will” rather than “I want to” implies that you will in fact do this! 30 pounds is measurable, a lack of numbers isn’t. And give yourself a deadline. Losing 30 pounds in 3 months means 10 pounds per month, 5 pounds per two week period etc. Being able to break it down into bite sized pieces is important. Unless you’re undergoing an amputation that 30 pounds isn’t going to all come off at once, so stop acting like it!
- Something you actually want to do: sounds ridiculous, I know. Think about it for a minute though: do you like the idea of running a marathon, or do you actually want to do it? Do you want to run uphill in the cold and the wind and the rain nearly every day? It takes an awful lot of pain for the gain. Make your goals something you want bad enough to stick to them.
Okay, so now that you have some specific, desirable & ambitious goals, lets talk about how you’re actually going to chew what you’ve bit off!
- Have a support system: a gym buddy is an amazing thing.
- Get the know-how: educate yourself on how to do it via a personal trainer, nutritionist, financial advisor etc.
- Review your goals regularly: set reminders in your phone (dayplanner or elsewhere) if need be. Sunday nights before you start your week are a great time for most people to spend a few minutes figuring out if what you’re doing is working or not. Maybe Crossfit really isn’t your thing, and you’re going to try out some group classes at the Y instead. Taking the time is key!
- Journalling your way through weight loss or marathon training is a great way to not only track your progress, but to keep you focused on the goal. A few minutes before bed is a great way to reflect on the progress you made that day. Some great ones can be found here.
Now go on, get at it!
Related posts
