As we approach the end of the 2019 year, many people will start the first day of 2020 with some type of New Year’s Resolution. Most of the population will set hypothetical resolutions such as work less, spend more time with family, and lose weight. The problem is that studies show that unless you write these goals down for the new year, most people will forget about and/or fade them from memory as the year progresses. Goals are require WORK and most people are not willing to sacrifice or put in the work because it’s HARD to change behavioral habits.
I have listed several steps that you should take when making your New Year’s Resolution for 2020. Regardless of what your resolution is, you should set short term and long term goals. This will help you attain small victories which in turn usually turn into large victories.
Keys to Success
- Write down your resolutions and make them prominently displayed, this way you have to look at them daily to remind you and keep you on task.
- Short term goals are things that are typically 3 months and shorter in duration. It could be something like eat fruits and vegetables three times a week.
- Long term goals are things that are 6 months to 5 years in length. This is not to say you cannot set time frames that are longer or shorter, but this will give you a starting point.
- Be specific in what you hope to attain. Avoid things like, “I want to lose 10lbs next year.” The problem is that this is vague and doesn’t give you any steps towards attaining that goal. The goal should be a specific time frame with details. For example, “I want to lose 10lbs in the next 8 weeks by reducing my caloric intake by 100 calories per day and exercising 2 days a week for an hour.” The more specific the better when it comes to setting goals.
- The next step is a plan of action to achieve those goals. If your goal is to run one mile in a time frame of 8 minutes, then you should look at where your current starting point is and progressing gradually. If you don’t exercise at all start with walking three days a week. Then progress to a jog/walk combination before progressing to running.
- Review your progress and goals monthly to see if you are on task or if you might need to modify what your doing because you are not succeeding. For instance, If you are having a hard time getting to the gym twice a week, maybe you should consider hiring a Personal Trainer to hold you accountable each week.
- It is perfectly acceptable if you are unable to complete all of the goals you set out for in the new year. Things happen and life happens, so you need to be realistic in what you hope to achieve in your resolutions. The goal is always to make progress and continue working towards your goals. The reality is goals are hard work and require you step outside of your comfort zone.
The goal to a successful New Year’s resolution is to be consistent in your effort. Goals such as decreasing your waist line and taking time off from work, require you to do different things than you have been currently doing for a number of years. Some habits are easier to change than others and you may want to consider hiring someone to help you achieve whatever goals you set out for. I always describe exercise like work, you may not want to do it or be there, but it is necessary in order for you to live a healthy and happy life. If you need help in your fitness journey, whether you are injured and need some help regaining mobility or just want to lose 10lbs, Xcelllerated Speed Training can help.