Happy New Year!
I hope you’ve all enjoyed a Christmas break.
Have you made any New Year’s resolutions?
Aren’t they FUN! We feel like we’ve already achieved something by writing them down!
Remember though that we’re making these grand plans for the year ahead off the back of two weeks of doing not a lot, having eaten in a different way to usual and having been in a different routine to usual.
This different perspective means it’s easy to forget that that ‘urgh I need to eat better’ feeling goes very quickly, as well as the fact that our lives are pretty busy!
And so, we find ourselves trying to commit ourselves to a daily exercise routine (maybe even going the whole hog and promising we’ll get up half an hour earlier every morning to fit it in), while simultaneously living on nothing but chicken and broccoli.
It feels so realistic in the heat of the moment, but I think we all know it won’t last long!
At the heart of the issue I think is the fact that everything we do comes at a price. If you want to get up earlier to exercise, then you’re going to have to get to bed earlier. If you want to cook all your meals from scratch, that takes time both in preparation and in action. Are you able and willing to pay the price – and are you willing to keep paying it for the long term?
All this said, the New Year IS an opportunity for a fresh start. I think it is good to strike while the iron is hot. It’s also a relatively easy time of year to make changes, seeing as most people are feeling the same way.
So, pick some changes that you ARE able and willing to pay the price to achieve – and which you can keep paying for the long term.
It has been repeatedly shown that taking smaller actions more consistently results in the most long lasting changes. So, what actions can you take which you are completely certain you can put into place every single week without fail?
Pick something you feel is so easy that you couldn’t NOT achieve it. Then, when you’ve got that into a routine, add something else. Keep making the smallest possible changes and focussing on doing them consistently.
You’ll be surprised at how quickly it all adds up. You might be surprised at how natural it can feel, and how easy it can be to maintain the changes for the long term.
You could start by making sure you’re eating enough protein, or adding an extra portion of veg to each meal….. Perhaps you could achieve an extra 1000 steps a day, or go to bed half an hour earlier. As long as what you choose is consistently achievable for the long term, and is compatible with your overall target, then there are no wrong answers.
Last year, I recorded a talk about the fact that 80% of people won’t achieve their goals and how you can go around things in a different way. I’ll be very happy to share the recording with you if you ask me.
Likewise, if you’re in a complete pickle with how to get started on your health and fitness goals this year, please get in touch and I’ll help you start heading in the right direction.