New Year Resolution
You probably read the title of this blog and assumed it would be a rant at the new gym go-ers who clog up gyms all over the country during the month of January. We’ve all seen these people – They’re the ones that sign up for a year, with the best intentions to finally lose the weight or improve their fitness but ultimately the ones that have fallen by the wayside by March. We all know these people. You might even be one yourself. Let’s call them ‘New Year Newbies’.
I’m writing this piece to let people know that a New Year fitness resolution is not something to be sneered at. December and in particular New Year is often a great time for reflection. During the ‘down’ times we can really sit back and take stock of what is important to us. It’s a great time to evaluate exactly what we want to achieve. So bearing in mind that January is naturally a time for new beginnings to flourish and develop – It’s fair to say it’s ok to have a New Year fitness resolution.
Now before you all stop reading I say this with caveats. There are rules one must follow in order to avoid falling into the trap of being the New Year newbie.
- Manage your expectations. The only place where results come before work is in the dictionary. NO one achieved greatness in 2 months. If it’s taken you years to ‘attain’ your current physical state then it might take years to undo it. Think of fitness as a process rather than an endpoint.
- Set your goals. Take a yearly calendar (probably the one you got as stocking filler) and work backwards from January 2015. Set a long term goal that can be as outrageous as you wish. Don’t put a ceiling on it, if you want to be on the cover of Men’s health next year then why not? Imagine that! Set smaller goals working backwards from January next year to set personal targets to help you get to (or as close to) the ultimate goal. Continue to reassess these where necessary.
- Tell EVERYONE. One thing people tend to do is keep their New Year resolution to themselves. I find the people who succeed are the ones who have accountability for their actions. Tell your mates, family, coach anyone who will listen what you want to achieve. Not only will they press you on progress, but it’s important you have these people onside. Because when the going gets tough, you are going to need a good support network around you.
- Consult a professional. Now I bet you’re all rolling your eyes! Granted it is how I make my money but it’s proven time and time again those people that have a plan are more likely to succeed. If my goal was to become a mathematician, I would go see a maths teacher. If you want to get fit – come see me. This isn’t a ploy to hawk my personal training, as you don’t need to have personal training to succeed. But you DO need to be doing the right eating and training in order to suit your goals. Get a professional to help you with your nutrition and workout program. Paid programming is always more successful than something you can pull off the internet or out of women’s fitness…
- Go it alone. While training partners are great, it ultimately takes control out of your hands. Sometimes it’s good to leave people behind if they’re not as ‘into it’ as you. This is your year. The only person that can stop you should BE you.
- Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. This kind of goes back to point 1. If you think this will be easy then think again. Stiffness, soreness, hunger, mood swings, injury, fatigue, sacrifice are some and probably all of feelings you will experience on your new venture. If you can look yourself in the mirror and accept that this will be a process of continuous failure (read this) then you my friend, are ready for the new you.
So that’s it, my rules for getting past March and onwards toward a truly new you. Have a think over Christmas and decide what you really want from 2014. If you really want to do it, I’ll see you in my office in January.