New Year's Resolutions
Welcome to 2023!
The New Year is the ultimate reset button. However, just having resolutions isn't going to help you be successful. To do that, you'll need goals and a plan to reach them.
There are two main flaws to many New Year's Resolutions: They are too vague and don't contain a plan. You've probably had or heard of a few of the common ones like losing weight/going to the gym more, even buying a new car or house or golfing more. Let's take the gym one as an example (for obvious reasons). How many times did you go to the gym last year? Let's say you went twice. You could meet your resolution in the first week of January, but then what? Along with that, there's no outline for you to stick to. Going to the gym once a week may be more than you've done before, but it still won't really be enough to make changes. You could also go 5 times in a week, take the next month off, then restart the cycle.
Instead of falling into these traps and realizing in March that you completely forgot about your resolutions, here's how you should make your resolutions.
1. Have a goal. Not just any goal, but a S.M.A.R.T. goal (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound). Think about what you really want for 2023. Let's say you start off wanting to lose weight. Why do you want to lose weight? Is it to fit into a swimsuit, to go on a big hiking trip, or keep up with grandkids? Instead of just thinking about the main goal, dig down deep. You may start off thinking you just want to lose weight, but instead realize you want to be able to play a round of golf without a cart.
2. Set a timeline. You may say you want to lose 10lbs, but that goal could be reasonably achieved by March. You could also not do anything until November and then lose the weight and still hit your goal. By setting a timeline of March, you'll be able to hit that goal and then reach for higher goals beyond that. Along with that specificity,keep this timeline reasonable. If you want to run a marathon but haven't done any cardio in 5 years, you likely won't reach your goal by April. You definitely could by October, so don't be afraid to be brutally honest with yourself and realize you may not hit all your goals in 30 days.
3. Create a plan of action. If you want to lose 20lbs, great! How will you do it? Most resolutions fall apart because they have a big overarching goal but no specific or measurable plan to achieve it. A good way to plan would be this: "I'm going to lose 20lbs by June 1st. To get there I'll go to the gym 3x a week, keep my calories below 1,500, and check in every 5 weeks to see how I am progressing."
With this plan, you'll need a way to stick to it. Self-motivating is incredibly difficult (especially for long periods of time), so having somebody there in your ear to keep you accountable will make you far likelier to succeed. Maybe fr you that's a friend or a significant other. Choose somebody who's goals align with you, and who you won't be opposed to taking constructive criticism from. Choose someone who you know will keep you to your plan as well.
If you're serious about being successful in 2023 and achieving all your New Year's Resolutions, a personal trainer is going to be your best option. We are educated and trained not only in exercise and nutrition, but in goal-setting and accountability as well. We know what you need to do, and we'll make sure you follow through. If this sounds like something you're in need of, check out the rest of this website or call us at 608-518-3242!
