How are you doing with your New Year’s Resolutions? Do you remember what they were? 🙂 We’re already a quarter of the way through the New Year and most of us have already completely fallen off the resolution wagon. The good news? It’s never too late to hop back on! Why wait until next January to live the life you want to live and be the person you want to be? Conquering goals is what makes us push forward and become better so let’s do this!
Here are my top six tips for getting back on track:
1) Get honest with yourself again. In December I wanted you to get honest with yourself and your current health and lifestyle, so it’s time to evaluate: How are you doing? Where are you at right now and where do you want to be? Have you made any of the changes you said you were going to? Where do you need to make changes and which ones can you make starting NOW? If it’s relational stress, maybe you need to see a counselor. If it’s exercise-related, maybe you need to sign up for personal training. If it’s nutrition-related, maybe it’s time to get serious about our personal coaching program. Be real and vulnerable with yourself by facing reality. Remember, you can only manage what you measure. Never forget this important step of regularly checking in to see where you need to adjust.
2) Start small. Based on your honest list of goals and adjustments, what are one or two things you KNOW you’ll be able to do each week? Maybe it’s making the commitment to go to the grocery store on the weekend, squeezing in a 20 minute cardio session on Saturday mornings instead of sleeping in, or maybe it’s calling a friend who will hold you accountable to your food or your workout schedule. Whatever it is, begin by taking some action NOW, to set yourself up for success.
3) Set a deadline. It’s one thing to set goals and have a plan, but if you don’t have a time frame for achieving that plan, you will hinder any chance of getting it done. When we don’t have a concrete deadline, we tend to justify our idleness by claiming we’ll get to it “tomorrow,” yet soon find that things planned for tomorrow don’t usually get done today. So set for yourself some deadlines and break through any barriers holding you back by being proactive!
4) Grab a buddy! Sign up for a race or a fitness event together. The tundra is thawing (in Minnesota at least!), so it’s becoming easier to come out of hibernation and get outside. Interpretation: Get moving! Grab a friend and start training for a fun race. Call your nearest boxing gym and see if you and a friend can drop into one of their classes (many will let you try a class for free). Sign up for our Couples Coaching program WITH someone who will support you and hold you accountable. Team up! We weren’t meant to do this life alone.
5) Make sure you’re fueling the tank. This is a concept I have to remind my clients of frequently because it’s counterintuitive. We’re used to thinking that if we don’t want to pack on the pounds we should restrict our food, but that’s not exactly how it works. If you want to avoid weight gain or lose weight or even just have more energy, you need to support your metabolism, not fight it. To do this, you need to give your body food. Nutritional deficiencies resulting form food restriction can be extremely damaging to your metabolism. Your car wouldn’t run without gas, just as your body wouldn’t run without food. Makes sense, right? Combat your hunger with real, whole foods, and your body will thank you.
6) Keep yourself motivated. If you have to remind yourself daily of the reasons why you’re committed to making lifestyle change, then DO IT. Motivation goes a long way. Constant reminders of WHY you’re making these changes are vital to keep moving forward. Write your reasons on post-it notes (as pictured above), and stick ’em in places where you’ll see them every day. Set reminders on your phone so that you don’t forget to eat every few hours and some put a checklist on your refrigerator.
Get going! For additional strategies on jump starting your body, download my free “5.5 Metabolism Boosters Guide!” by clicking the pink button below.
