Ok, It's the beginning of a new year and we are now 1 week into it. How are you doing with your New Years' resolutions or goals? It seems like we just recently started saying goals instead of resolutions due to so many past failures in being absolute. However you say it, they are pretty similar. Have you completely abandoned your goals the first time you got off track because you had set "all or nothing" goals? I'm sure there's some stat out there that says something like 50% off people quit their resolutions by end of the first week. I don't know the actual numbers but I think we can all agree that there is a very high drop off rate and that only a small percentage of people actually stick with it to the end of the year.
Have you ever started a diet, workout program, etc. and couldn’t follow through with it? It seemed like the perfect solution at the time but then something happened that threw you off track. You got busy, sick, ate dinner at a restaurant or any number of things called life got in the way of the perfect plan. Please know that the problem is not you, your motivation or your discipline. The problem is the all or nothing mentality. The idea that we are either all in or all out. Take a good look at yourself if you haven done any diet or workout program in the past that promised big results in just a short amount of time. What’s the problem with all of these? They all assume that you are all in and that you can dedicate your life to this extreme change. I mean we can push through some pretty extreme plans but typically only for a short period of time. Also most of them tend to be 4 weeks or 12 weeks. None of them say you have to do this forever. I mean it's really not very appealing marketing when we all want quick fixes and want to see "results" right away so we can stay motivated.
Are you at a place now where you no longer make New Years' resolutions for health and fitness because you know that you won’t stick to them? You think why bother trying a new program at all because I have failed in the past and this time wouldn't be any different. You keep assuming the problem is you and if you could just stay motivated or just push a little harder, then you would reach your goal. The problem is not your motivation or your discipline. It's your mindset. The fact that you keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. You want big results and you want them right away. You fail because you're not consistent since you haven't fully developed new habits and systems that will sustain your changes for the long haul.
If you have already fallen off the wagon with your goals for the year, failed to set them in the first place, or feel like your current plan is not sustainable, then here's a plan for you. Follow these steps to create your new habit.
#1 Identify your GOAL
#2 List all of the things you "could" do to reach it
#3 Determine the 1 most important thing to focus on now (habit)
#4 Break this down into something so easy you can always do it
#5 Figure out WHEN you will do it
#6 Determine what might get in the way of doing it
#7 Make a plan for when roadblocks occur
#8 Do this new habit EVERY DAY until it's easy
#9 Gradually increase the difficulty of this habit or start on the next supporting habit to your goal
I know this may seem ridiculously easy if you're used to those nutrition and/or workout programs that require you to completely change your entire life. It's too many changes at once and is not sustainable. You know because you've done it maybe even successfully but the problem is you didn't keep doing it and your old habits took over again. Now you're right back to where you started. This is why it's time to change your system. It's ok to start small. No you will not see big results right away but what you will be doing is building a sustainable system that will allow you to make gradual improvements. No more yo yo results. Start where you are. Start small. Start TODAY.
If you would like additional help with setting up your new system of habits, I will be offering free 15 minute video chats until the end of January. Please comment or message me to get started.
