What is it about human nature and new year’s resolutions? They seem incompatible from the start.
We make a nice list of things we’ll begin, let’s say, getting up early every morning to do bicycle crunches. January first, you begin. Easy does it, but a start is a start, feeling good. By day three, you’re feeling the effects of that extra hour less sleep, and you’re snoring on your back mid-crunch. Evening of day three you’re googling other ways of getting great abs that doesn’t require as much .. change in routine. By February it’s all crashed & burned and forgotten as a ludicrous idea anyway, and you’re back where you left off last year, still working off those christmas mince pies. Why do so many new year’s resolutions end up that way?
I think it has to do with Wiki’s quote of Isaac Newton’s 1st law in ‘ Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica ‘
“The vis insita, or innate force of matter, is a power of resisting by which every body, as much as in it lies, endeavours to preserve its present state, whether it be of rest or of moving uniformly forward in a straight line.”
In normal English, that means an object, (that would be you), will continue moving at its current velocity (zero, and no, walking around the office does not count as exercise) until some force (reason or motivation) causes its speed or direction to change.
So, how do you kick some new year’s resolution butt?
Planning, people. We all know deep down how really difficult it is to change, to keep the ‘oomph’, to keep the habit alive. Here are some tips to getting things going, and keeping them going..hopefully permanently:
1. You need a solid reason WHY
Why do you want to get a six pack? ‘Because it looks hot’ isn’t solid enough. ‘Because it would make me feel stronger, better about myself, and happier in my marriage because I know my wife loves it when my body’s looking it’s best’ Now we’re getting warmer.. analyse your deep seated reasons, write them down, stick them somewhere where you can see them every day. On the fridge, in the car, on the bathroom mirror. Your WHY.
2. Have a specific goal in mind
Cycling like a speed demon for months on end because you enjoy it may work for some, but you’ll likely land up back on the couch if you don’t have a goal in mind. Do you have a set number of pounds or kilo’s you want to lose? Put a number to it (be realistic too). Do you have a race in mind that you’d like to train for? Print out a training schedule and grab a friend or join a club. Set a goal, and then plan your baby steps inbetween today and your goal. We did this one year, just 5 months prior to a half marathon, and felt like absolute champions when we got over the finish line. We’d never run before, let alone finished a race in another city, but planning prevailed. Set a goal, plan a path to it, go for it.
3. Accountability is a winner
If your goal isn’t something you can do with someone, like training for the yoyo championships or for long jumping, say, then write up your goal and your WHY and stick them somewhere where others can see them. This gets you out there, lets the world know of your intentions and goals, and keeps you from slipping into December’s-old-self. People are watching, and expecting great stuff from you, come on!
4. Believe in yourself, self talk!
Get out of your old bad self talk habits that may try and creep in and sabotage everything at 5am in mid winter when you’re battling to crawl out of bed. I find a handful of small cards with affirmations work wonders. They don’t have to be lengthy or lame, just find a few lines that really motivate you deep down, that talk to you and inspire you, and carry them in your wallet, or stick them on your fridge (or inside of your cupboard if you prefer them to be private). ‘I value myself deeply and love eating healthy food’ etc.
You know what I mean.. what works for you?
5. Pray
Personally, I believe wrapping it all up in prayer does wonders. Asking for help to keep disciplined, to grow in character & faithfulness, from God who sees everything and every heart, is the best accountability of all. When I’m trying to get up at 5 for a workout, or to write, even if noone else on the planet is aware of my trying to open an eye, I know He knows. He knows my WHY’s and my dreams and frustrations, and that I’ve asked for His help is.. reassuring and powerful in a way.
Start today. It’s only the 9th Jan! Never too late to begin 🙂
Sit down somewhere quiet where you can think, dig deep and plan to make resolutions that excite and inspire you, and then plan to succeed.
You can do it!
Above The Daily Grind 