Gym

New Year, New You – For Real this Time!

A new year is a great time to evaluate yourself during the year before and commit to making changes.  I am sad the term “New Years Resolution” has a such a negative connotation.  Millions of Americans set a New Years Resolution and within 90 days , Millions are no longer committed to their goals.

I think it can be important and necessary for self-growth, to evaluate where you are and where you want to be.   We can make this evaluation any day of the year, but I like the idea of a fresh start, a fresh you.  I think people give up on their New Years Resolution due to 5 barriers.  But do not fear, you can commit to your Resolution this year, and you can make your change a lifestyle change.  Here are 5 tips to overcome the 5 barriers to keeping to your New Years Resolution.

1.  Lack of progress –  We are a society of instant results and instant success.  But in life instant gratification rarely happens and when it does, do we really appreciate it?  People that win millions of dollars in the lottery in an instant are more likely to spend all their money in a few years whereas people that work hard and consistently over time to earn millions of dollars are more likely to pass millions of dollars down for generations to come.

  • Tip: Remember life is a journey.  You are a journey.  You will be different tomorrow if you allow yourself to grow and change today.  You WILL NOT notice the change when you wake up, but if you look where you are after 6 weeks, you will be different, 6 months you will have grown, and a year later you will be a new you.

2.  You lose focus – You forget why you set this New Year’s Resolution.  You lose sight of your Why?

  • Tip: Learn and Memorize your “Why”?  Your why is your purpose for setting this new goal.  Do you want to be healthier for your children?  Do you want to pay off debt to no longer be a slave to someone else?  This is your motivation.  When you start to lose sight remembering this purpose will help you stay motivated and focused.

3.  You feel alone in your journey – Perhaps you told everyone your New Years Resolution was to work out 5 times a week and those individuals were encouraging and supportive.  Some maybe even agreed to go to the gym with you, but then, after only a few weeks in, they stop.  You suddenly are left alone to motivate yourself and it can be scary to walk into the gym without your buffer and your friend.

  • Tip: Write down your Resolution and put it where you will see it!  A good friend of mine uses a Vision Board and it hangs on a wall in their house to see everyday!  Although it is a great to have a workout buddy or a friend to share your new you with, this Resolution is about YOU, not them.

4.  We do not plan for the unexpected – Yep it is inevitable, something dramatic, upsetting, frustrating, and overwhelming will come up.  Work responsibilities can pile up and you will have to work longer hours, or maybe your child has more homework then expected.  This will throw a kink in your plans and it can be hard to continue to plan for that New Years change.

  • Tip: Have a DAILY Plan – When I first started working out I scheduled my daily workouts on my calendar on my phone.  I was specific in time and focus.  For example, Monday I scheduled 30 minutes cardio on the Stair Mill and wrote down the 8 back exercises and 3 core exercises I would do at 5:00 pm.  An alarm would remind me “Yo, get off your bum and go to the gym!”  There are days when I had a million things to do and my plans interfered with gym time, however if I scheduled time for the gym, and had a plan I was more likely to go and feel good I got a workout in.

5.  We suffer in silence – in other words we do not ask for help.

  • Tip: Ask for help!  YOU ARE NOT THE EXPERT!  You are not expected to know everything.  I had a goal to start sewing, but I sat down to sew and I was TERRIBLE!  I had to talk to people that had more experience in this craft and I had to read and study how to sew.  If you are in the gym and do not know how a machine works, ask!  (I mean sometimes those guys behind the desk look really bored, so make them earn their paycheck).  Or if you want to know which workouts are best for your back check out YouTube.  A great website to get workout advise, get workout plans, and view how to do an exercise is http://www.bodybuilder.com.

You can have a New You whether you start today or January 1st.  What is your New Years Resolution?  Now let’s get started to committing to the new you!

Please email Stephanie with any questions or additional support.  Stephanie can be contacted at stephanie.waitt@yahoo.com.

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