New Year, New You: 3 Resolutions You Can Keep

It’s that time again. The end of the year often brings a new year of “goal crushing,” or at least attempting to “crush it.” I’m willing to bet that most of us have made plans to change ourselves into this “giant-killer” of goals and that many have fallen straight on our faces two weeks or so later. The best way to prevent “falling off the tracks” so to speak is by setting goals using the SMART principle (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-based).

I personally take the old pen and paper and write them down. Some goals may be realistic, others may be a stretch, but sometimes we need to challenge ourselves. Here are 3 basic goals to strive for which I believe will help you succeed with the new year upon us:

Goal One: Learn to say yes/no

What I mean by this is, are you consistently the “yes” person or the “no” person? I have always pondered what if I had said yes to that random trip? Or if I had said no to picking up extra hours at work, and if so, would my life have less stress? Would I make new connections and create new memories? My suggestion is to try to be the opposite sometimes. Whether it be in your work life, social life, or economic life, it can be helpful to learn to reverse your thinking.

From a training standpoint, a good example might be saying “yes” to putting in some extra cardio time, or maybe it means saying “no” to that cheesecake you know may not be the best choice. Try saying the opposite to something you would normally repeatedly approve or deny; making a switch could open many new possibilities.

Goal Two: Try something new

This is something I have personally done, and for me, it was something as easy as reading something outside of my normal sports and news, traveling somewhere I have never gone, or trying an activity I had never had much interest in before. I came to the realization that I needed to open my mind to new things, and what I often found was a new discovery about what I liked or disliked on a higher spectrum.

The “comfort zone” is where many of us live, but where goals and dreams go to “die.” I would recommend trying something new once a week, or at least once a month. This could mean going to yoga, trying a spin class, or eating a food you never thought you would have tasted in your life.

Goal Three: Be accountable

In my opinion this is the hardest goal to accomplish, since defining what it means to be accountable can be a bit of a gray area. Accountability is something that takes time to create. One of the biggest traps I’ve seen my clients fall into is not being at an appointment on time. As an ex-military member, to me “on time” means 5 minutes early but for some clients, it is 5 minutes late. If you are the habitually late person, make a point to hold yourself accountable and be early. Still, accountability means so much more than being on time to a workout. I’ve personally applied accountability to scheduling and training, but I feel it can be applied to all aspects of life.

It’s important to me that a client looks at themselves and knows when they leave me that they have done everything in their power to make their fitness goal a reality. Some common things my clients struggle with are eating poorly, sleeping too little, not doing their “homework,” or neglecting advice or suggestions. Many times, we can be too quick to blame the outcome of a situation on external factors instead of stepping back and examining what we could have done to make that situation better.

With the new year upon us, I encourage you to apply these concepts to your life and see what comes of them. I believe that we have to find a balance in life, and while reaching these goals is something I am still trying to improve on to this day, doing this has enhanced my life. I hope these three concepts help you in finding a healthier, more balanced you, and to accomplish your goals in the new year.

© Copyright Whatismyhealth, January 1, 2017