#FitnessFriday How To Keep Your Resolutions

New Year’s Resolutions Are Good.

There. I said it.

Poor wittle resolutions. They get a bad rap. They’re treated like a big old joke and it’s really unfortunate.

I realize part of it is marketing. Resolution being a dirty word and all…

And part of it is user error. People just don’t know how to keep their resolutions…

Here are 3 ways to ensure you keep your resolutions and are successful with them this year:

1. Resolutions are not a joke.

You know the old jokes about resolutions. Gym packed in January, empty in February. People saving up in January, but balling out (on credit) again in February (and again when that tax check comes lol)

It is what it is, and it obviously happens or the jokes wouldn’t be around… but it’s not the case for everyone.

Since the word resolution has such a negative (or really just not respected) connotation. Let’s not call our resolutions that. Let’s call them what they actually are… goals.

Just changing your wording from “My resolution is to ____” to “My goal is to ___.” makes it get taken more seriously.

2. Don’t take on too much

This is it. 2015 is going to be MY YEAR. I’m going to quit smoking, lose 50 lbs, buy a house, save $25,000, find Mr. Right, and quit my job to start my dream business!

Yep.

You’re going to fail.

Those are all great undertakings and while they’re all POSSIBLE in 2015, it’s not likely that they will all be achieved. If you start the year with several huge goals with the same deadline you will either burn out trying to achieve them, and not reach them, or you’ll get overwhelmed and stop on all of them….and not reach them.

It’s a great idea to pick one goal that can impact the others…but the one goal you pick is the one you focus on.

Using the person in the example above…. Maybe her goal for 2015 could be to run 365 miles for the year. That would require her to become a runner (or at least run regularly, if she didn’t want to label herself a runner). It’s likely that if she’s working to meet this goal, she’ll smoke less because she’ll realize how awful it is for her running… she’ll lose weight as a natural byproduct of running regularly, and she may even save some money if she’s spending time running versus doing activities that require cash…. and hey…. she may just run right into Mr. Right on the jogging path.

That would be just perfect huh.

The idea still remains… pick and focus on just ONE major goal that you’d love to achieve anyway…but that can impact the other items of importance in your life.

3. Don’t make nebulous statements

I’m gunna get fit this year.

I’m gunna fix up the house this year.

I’m gunna save money this year.

What the hell does that even mean?

“fit” “fix up” “save”

Those words mean vastly different things to different people.

Are you going to get a six pack and vascular definition… or are you going to just lose 5 lbs? You doing a gut renovation on the kitchen or just painting the bathroom a new color? … You get my drift.

For goals to work, they must be specific. (You already know about S.M.A.R.T. goals so I won’t bore you with that)

Write down specifically what you’re going to do for the year. If someone asks you what your resolution is, you should be able to tell them “I’m going to lose 50lbs by Christmas through clean eating and taking boot camp 3x a week.”

Don’t be a resolution casualty this year. Remind yourself that a resolution is simply a goal, and you treat your goals with respect….and you git em dun!

What are your goals resolutions for 2015??