Prepping For New Years

Here it comes! We’re just a month away from starting 2023. Prepare yourself for the endless slew of “New Year, New Me'' posts and everyone on social media jumping on the bandwagon. Sure, we’re going to work out more, eat less and lose that weight! But how many people do you see stick to their resolutions? A quick google search shows many surveys and studies claim resolutions are given up only 2 - 6 weeks after they’re made.

In years past I’ve been that very same “resolutioner.” Even my efforts on maintaining this blog fall subject to the reasons and excuses that make change so hard. So this year I want to focus on your mindset towards reaching new goals in 2023. Are you ready?

Let’s get serious about New Years, and how to approach changing your life.

Tip #1- Have a clear intention

Tip one is really step one in the resolutions process. Set a clear intention. Many have losing weight as their top new year’s priority. Let’s get more specific, are you doing this so you don’t get winded climbing the steps, or do you want a 6 pack when warm weather comes around and it’s beach time? Narrow down exactly what you're looking for and build your plan with the end in mind.

Tip #2 - Is this a new or an old goal?

This may sound like an odd tip, but we should differentiate new goals from old ones. New goals are things you have never done, or never accomplished before. Think like a new personal record on your Bench Press max. Old goals would be things from the past you want back, like getting back to your college weight, or finally losing your Covid-15 pounds we all put on while staying at home. Knowing old versus new goals helps us identify if we need to eliminate bad habits or add fresh good ones. New goals mean new habits, old goals mean ditching bad habits.

Tip #3- What would this look like if it were easy?

I'm borrowing this line from one of my mentors, John Goodman. We need a plan to make things happen and that plan needs to be easy. I know this sounds counter intuitive; you may be looking to accomplish a herculean task, but I want you to make it an easy one. Maybe you're looking to drop 50 pounds this year, which is not an easy task. Let’s chunk this and make it simple for you: what if instead your goal was to lose 1 pound this week. Much easier, right? If you achieve that goal, you would end the year 52 pounds lighter (maybe take off two weeks for Thanksgiving and Christmas!). Feel free to use this tip for everything, it’s perfect for lowering the anxiety and barrier to entry for so many of the hard challenges in life.

Tip #4- Don’t try to do it by yourself

Hopefully you hear this echoing everywhere, don’t go it alone. I mean this in every sense. Turn to friends and family to keep you accountable. You might want to consider a coach; people you know who have achieved the results you're looking for to get advice and input from their experience. Results happen much faster this way and you can learn from the mistakes of others so you can minimize your own.

I hope these tips help you once you put up a new calendar or open up your online program and see a new year at the top of the banner. As always, if you need a health and fitness coach, reach out through the “Contact Us” button. I would love to be a part of your 2023 journey!