Real Talk on Resolutions

Happy New Year! Bring on 2017 and all those things you didn’t do in 2016, right? This year you’re going to eat only unprocessed foods, exercise everyday, sleep at least 8 hours every night, fit into the jeans that have always been too small, train your dog to clean the house while he’s home all day…

Or you can create a more realistic list.

The danger in creating new year’s resolutions is that many people approach unrealistic goals with an all-or-nothing mentality. So here are some things to consider so you avoid setting yourself up for failure.

1. Set realistic goals.
Ditch the “every day,” “all the time,” “never,” and “always” words–they are a trap. Adopt the 80/20 approach instead. Do your best to stick to your goals 80% of the time, and allow yourself 20% of the time to do what you want. For example, if you want to eat unprocessed foods but you LOVE, as in you’d consider giving up your firstborn LOVE, M&Ms, then eat the M&Ms 20% of the time and make sure the other 80% is packed with fruits, veggies, complex carbs, and lean protein. Squatting your body weight, losing 50 lbs, or eating unprocessed foods can be very realistic goals for you, but only if you approach them with a more realistic mindset, ie, NOT with a 100% perfection expectation. Every day will not be perfect. You will have setbacks. Your goals might change. And all of that is ok. You don’t have to wait a whole other year to start fresh again. Every day is a new day to restart and reset. So if you eat an entire package of Oreos on January 9th, your goal of eating healthy isn’t totally ruined. On January 10th, have an extra helping of veggies. As long as you stick to your goals 80% of the time, you’ll be successful.

2. Establish healthy routines.
You may have specific goals in mind, but the only way to reach a specific goal is to create a routine to get you there. You’re never going to squat your body weight if you don’t start squatting 5 lbs, 10 lbs, 15 lbs, week in, week out. You’re never going to eat healthy most days if you don’t spend time shopping for healthy foods and preparing healthy meals. You’re never going to get 8 hours of sleep most nights if you don’t start turning off the TV before 10 pm. Your goal is a journey, and there are a lot of steps you need to take to get there. Routines will anchor you.

3. Strike a pose.
I’m currently reading a book entitled, Pose, Wobble, and Flow. It’s geared toward educators, but I’ve embraced its message in all areas of my life. The basic idea is you should choose a “pose” to take and then have all of your actions align with that pose. You may wobble through the pose, but if you practice enough, you achieve flow, like in yoga. Think of your pose as your goal mindset that sums up your resolutions. For instance, if your pose is “making healthy decisions will make me feel better”, then you’ll think about that stance when looking over the menu at a restaurant and use it to drive your meal decision. You might wobble and get a less healthy option, but if you feel bloated and uncomfortable after your meal, next time you’ll remember that decision and your pose and I bet you’ll be more likely to get a healthier option that makes you feel better.

To summarize, little things add up to become big things, but remember that you’re human. As my man Alexander Pope says, “To err is human, to forgive divine.” Make yourself accountable for your actions, but don’t beat yourself up for falling short. It may be a new year, but every tomorrow is a new day.

Want help with your health and fitness journey? Contact me [email protected]