How many resolutions have you made over the years?
How many have you kept?
It should serve as no surprise to you that most people do not keep their resolutions past the month of January.
You can see for yourself. Come to the Club during the month of January and you’ll see a lot of resolutions. Come back in February, and see who’s left.
The problem is we are full of resolutions, but have no resolve.
No will to continue improving ourselves.
This year, don’t make a resolution. Make a commitment.
Commit to eating better, working out more, spending more time with your family.
Whatever your resolution would be, commit to it.
Then, after you’ve committed, you need to work at making your commitment permanent.
Just like a strong marriage isn’t built without work, no commitment will last without some definite steps.
Here are some suggestions:
- Use your support network. If you don’t have one already, find one. Let the people who care about you know about your commitment, and what you’re doing to accomplish it. We are social animals, and the social support we receive from others is one of the strongest motivators to build and maintain good habits.
- Commit to a goal, not a wish. A wish is saying “I’m going eat better, workout, and lose weight.” A goal is saying, “I’m going plan healthier meals based on my own body composition and level of exertion. I’m going to work out at the gym 5 days per week, on a custom plan I have developed with the help of a professional trainer. I am going to lose 6% body fat in two months.”
See the difference? Make a goal that is difficult, but achievable. Don’t make your goal to lose 80lbs in a week. You can’t do it. And when you miss your goal, you’ll give up, and find yourself right back where you started.
Instead of 80lbs in a week, maybe you set your goal to lose 1-2lbs per week, while increasing your lean mass. That is both realistic and achievable. And much more sustainable.
- Reward yourself along the way. If your overall goal is to lose 80lbs, set smaller milestone goals along the way. Maybe after each 10lbs lost, you treat yourself to a night out at the movies, or you buy that trinket you’ve been wanting.
By breaking up our goals into smaller, bite sized chunks, we reward ourselves, and see that the overall goal is possible. We will be that much more likely to achieve it.
The most common types of New Year’s resolutions usually involve improving health. Well, we’re happy to help with that here at CBRC.
It’s why we have our 100 Day Challenge at the beginning of the year.
But whatever you were thinking about making a resolution, don’t. Commit to it. Set goals. And if we can support you in any way we will.
After all, we’re family.
Here’s to a healthy new year,
Columbia Basin Racquet Club