NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS/GOALS AND HOW TO KEEP THEM
BY JESSICA McHUGH SOAR FITNESS STUDIO EMAIL: soarfitnessstudio@yahoo.com
First, let’s look at some facts about resolutions/goals. About 49-50% of Americans make them at the beginning of every New Year. Of those millions of people, only 40% of them are still applying them in June. That essentially means that 60% of people FAIL. That’s a lot. The number 1 commonly broken resolution is…. lose weight and get fit.
Hopefully, the information below will help you succeed if you have made a resolution going this new year.
Make your goals attainable.
Sure, it sounds great to say that you are going to lose 50 or more pounds by the time summer rolls around. Is that possible? Sure. Likely? Not so much. Studies of goal-setting are pretty universal in saying that the more manageable your goals are, the more likely you are to succeed. It’s also important to keep in mind that when you set a goal to lose weight, you are not 100% sure how your body is going to react. It’s a lot of trial and error. You HAVE to do your research and revise your expectations, especially if you have not done this in awhile, or are completely new to the idea. Having an attainable goal also can indicate how you do in your future endeavors. Research shows that people who don’t meet their goals are more than likely to fail in subsequent attempts. They begin to tell themselves that it is impossible to do. They will only remember their failures and not their victories. Once they fail, it makes it hard to start again.
Have an accountability partner(s).
Who has tried to be their own accountability partner? How did that work out for you? You probably just answered, “it didn’t”. That’s because accountability is KEY for your success and one of the most powerful principles you can follow on your quest. Just knowing that someone is going to ask you how you are doing on your goals will more than likely do the trick. You can keep it simple. You can find 1 or more people (family, co-workers, friends, a virtual buddy, ANYONE) and set in stone how often you will ‘check in’ with each other. It can be daily, or even weekly. You don’t have to make a production about it, you can do it over email, facebook message, support groups, whatever. YOU JUST MUST DO IT!!! I know for me personally, I love my support group I run on facebook. It’s a group of like minded woman that check in daily with what we’ve done to help meet our goals. I can tell you that it absolutely helps keep me motivated. On days that I just don’t feel like getting off of the couch to exercise, I log in to facebook and see them talking about their workouts and it inspires me to do the same. ** If you are interested in this group I will gladly add you. Email me or private message me on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/jessica.s.mchugh **
Give yourself some slack.
You are going to screw up. AND THAT’S OK!! If you eat something that you shouldn’t during a meal, don’t think that your whole day is ruined. If you do, research shows that people will say to themselves things like, I’ll just start again tomorrow, next week or next month. And how many people actually start back up? It is better to acknowledge the mistake and IMMEDIATELY get back on track. I, personally, hate the idea of a “cheat day”. I think that “cheat meals” are perfectly acceptable and much needed for most people to stay on track but whole days dedicated to “cheating”? NO. One meal with a slice of pizza or 2 is in NO way a legitimate reason to give up on a weight loss goal altogether.
Commit to change.
Changing our routine is HARD. EXTREMELY HARD. That’s why 60% of people fail. It’s easier to sit on the couch than get up and workout. It’s easier to go through a drive-thru than it is to cook yourself a healthy and balanced meal. That is why it’s a MUST to sit down BEFORE you start and MAP OUT what will be different about your life and how you will manage that change.
Let’s say you eat out with your friends/family once a week. How will you now manage to do that with your new lifestyle? You will get frustrated and quit if you think that you will, for some reason or another, have to give that up. Instead, HAVE A PLAN. Figure out what works best for you. A couple examples would be:
– Work out a little harder in the morning in order to indulge
slightly.
– Eat before you leave your house that way you’ll be less likely to binge eat all the food.
– Use portion control and moderation. Do things like having one less glass of wine or skipping the bread.
Make it visual.
Start by writing down your goals. (Again, make them attainable) Why write them down?
– It will force you to be specific about what you want. – It will help you plan accordingly. – It will motivate you to take action. – It will help you overcome resistance. – It will help you see & celebrate your progress. 75% of what we write down, goal wise, happens. It sets the brain in motion. Always use the word ‘will’ instead of words like ‘would like to’. For example, “I will exercise for at least 30 minutes daily”. “I will eat clean the best that I possibly can”. I personally like to do this weekly. On Sundays. Goal setting is an ongoing activity and if done correctly, should be ever changing. Once you cross off a goal that you’ve achieved, what would you have to strive for if you didn’t then add another goal? The end goal may remain similar over the long term but your map to get there can change significantly.
Declare it.
You don’t have to tell everyone that you know, take out an ad in the newspaper or even make an updated facebook status about it but telling SOMEONE what you are going to achieve and by when will remind yourself of your goal and help keep your eyes on the prize. It will give you confidence in yourself and your ability to achieve your goal. It helps others believe in you also. These 3 people just may end up being in your accountability circle. If you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect others to believe in you. Declaring your goals on a regular basis will provide yourself with the strength, courage, and emotional fortitude required to see them through.
Keep trying.
What happens if mid February comes around and you want to quit? The answer is simple, DON’T. Instead, look at the list above and start fresh. Re-evaluate your goals. If you are not writing down your goals frequently, it’s easy to lose sight of them and they may seem too far to reach. Recommit yourself for 24 hours or a week. By doing this the short time increments will soon build on each other and before you know it you’ll be back on track.
I truly wish you all the best of luck and want to offer my services to help you reach your goals in the new year. Once again you can email me with any questions at soarfitnessstudio@yahoo.com or find me on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jessica.s.mchugh
– Jessica McHugh, Owner & CPT
Soar Fitness Studio 729 Fairmont Ave Suite 99 Westover, WV 26501 vagaro.com/soarfitnessstudio
Want to hear Jessica talk about the subject of goals and resolutions? Listen to this week’s podcast!