I say FOE!! and ask WHY – why set yourself up, so you can beat yourself up yet again for failing miserably? I know this may sound very pessimistic, but honestly statistics show that only 8 percent of Americans successfully achieve their New Year’s resolutions. A whopping 45 percent fail by the end of January! (http://www.pr9.net/games/consumer/3207december.html)
Anthony Slater (aslater@coreperformance.com) who spoke at Valerie Waters Beauty and Fitness Summit (part 1 / part 2), touched on this very subject. His thought – to start making small changes now by finding something that lights you on fire. By doing a self-evaluation or starting to prepare, you are creating small sparks in your mind that can ignite that fire. Begin by figuring out where you are starting, and what your limits are and then set realistic goals for yourself. Preparation charts your course, getting an emotional connection to an activity or goal puts the wind in your sails. You can get this emotional connection by anchoring events or activities to a passion or feeling – give yourself a reason for doing it. According to Antony, there are two classes of failure, those who thought and never did and those who did and never thought – preparation is the first step to finding success in anything you do. Next set measurable goals… Tracking + Action = Traction or the ability to move forward. Most of us need to see some type of progress to stay motivated right? So if you don’t set measurable goals, how will you know if you are making progress? Reflect – look back on your accomplishments and own them – allow yourself to feel that feeling of success and use those feelings to keep the momentum going. Celebrate and reward yourself for all your hard work and success – it wasn’t easy and you deserve it!
Wow right? I have to say there were several good speakers at this event, but I was surprised by how everything Antony said resonated with me… So what can you start doing today to set yourself up for success in the new year??
1. Prepare – I mean really prepare by doing a self evaluation and be honest with yourself. Where are you starting – for me I’m starting with my hips creeping back up to 38 inches again – they were 1 inch smaller at the beginning of this year. What are my limitation? Personally I need to define how important and how much time I want to put into ME and it’s not 24/7. Some realistic goals for me – cardio twice a week, 2 strength training sessions, and eating at least 80% clean … This will allow me to not feel deprived and not feel like I am constantly dieting or working out – which can make this girl very cranky… And what is lighting the fire in me?? Two things actually – One – My pants are starting to get ears, meaning they are getting so tight that the pockets are opening by themselves, and two, which is much more positive – the feeling I had the first time I was able to fit perfectly into a pair of size 4 Old Navy Chino’s….If you are a pear shape like me you know that finding a pair of pants that fit your hips and waist is nearly impossible. If they fit your hips they are huge in the waist; if they fit your waist, they are bulging at the seams in your hips – painful…. Imagine the joy I felt pulling that first pair of pants up over my hips and have them fit perfectly at the waist…. I could not believe it! That one small thing gave me confidence, made me feel successful, proud and unstoppable, and I want that feeling back.
2. Take Action – start by making your goals measurable – for me that means a tape measure, and a white board which will go right on my refrigerator. Part of a measurable goal is to assign a value to it – My measurable goals are the inches on my hips, the number of times I hit my workouts and how long I am giving myself to accomplish this goal. So on the white board I will put the time frame across the top and on the left side – a spot to for my hip measurement and 4 spots to check off my weekly workouts (2 cardio and two strength). You can also make this a weekly chart (day 1-5) and add your meals and water if you like. This chart allows me to visualize my successes each week – which can be very motivating.
…………..wk 1 wk 2 wk 3 wk 4
hip 38
cardio x
cardio
weights x
weights
3. Next – Reflect by taking a minute to look back and appreciate the work you’ve put in and appreciate yourself for a job well done…. then take a minute to hold onto that feeling of success and use it to push forward.
4. Lastly – Celebrate! You’ve worked hard and you deserve it – Reward yourself with a massage, mani or pedi, or perhaps a new pair of size 4 old Navy Chino’s without the ears sticking out…
Don’t be one of the 92% who fail in this upcoming year, be one of the 8% who succeed – all you need to do is start with #1 and prepare…
Happy Holidays!
No comments yet.