2013. Half Way There. How's Your Resolutions?

2013 ..... Armed and On Track or Need a Reboot? 

2013.  It’s official.  We are at or near the half point of the year.

At the beginning of January 2013, most of us took it upon ourselves to establish fitness and health goals and resolutions for the year.  It was the most appropriate and common time to establish those fitness and health goals and resolutions.  Well, sort of.  We are in fact masters of stalling.

In January, about one in three Americans resolve to better themselves in some way; however, a very small percentage of them actually follow through on those resolutions. The New Year begins and among Americans that develop and implement plans for resolutions about 75% of them adhere towards their goal(s) for at least one week.  But less than half (46%) of them six months later are still on track.  So, many Americans are making fewer New Year’s resolutions, if any, because they are not likely to stick to them.  That seems reasonable.  But it’s the act of goal setting and and grind of hard work that makes fulfilling resolutions the more awesome, beneficial, rewarding and unforgettable.  The epic and monumental things we achieve and honor most in our lives is not merely the feat or goal but its the hilly path and long-winding road we take to get there ..... lunge after lunge and step by step.

"I guess I just woke up this morning and decided..
I didn't want to be chicken anymore"

In June or July, at this point, how are your fitness and health goals and resolutions?  Have you achieved some, if not all of them?  If so, were you able to develop new ones?  Or have you achieved none of them?  If so, were you able to make new plans of actions or reevaluate goals and resolutions?  It does not matter if you have not been able to achieve all, any or some of them, but it is extremely important to continue to remember any current, former or new goals and resolutions and think of creative and practical ways to “make each one happen” now or up to the rest of the year.   

The definition of a resolution is an act of determining upon an action, method or procedure, etc. with a firmness of purpose to resolve.  The 'Out There' illustration pokes fun and has the chicken exercising saying to the other how he/she plans to make ado about not being a chicken and something else. A resolution is also a “make firm to do something” kind of thing for someone or more likely yourself.  When a person discontinues a resolution he or she no longer is determined or has the firmness to reap the rewards or recreate a new action plan.  Though there may be other financial or personal reasons too.  Yes, that is completely understandable.  Yet, resolutions are active, decisive thoughts that have many difficulties and roads that will have to be reached over time.  It's up to you!

So, did you make any fitness or health resolutions this year?  Do you currently adhere to or follow a plan to adhere to and complete them?  Or are you having difficulty coming up with ideas for goals or resolutions or putting together action plans?  It’s never too late to fix or start them by any means.  And you are not alone by any means as well.  The majority of goals and resolutions do in fact pertain to health, lifestyle and wellness.  For example, people may plan to change eating habits, increase muscle tone or lose body weight, omit smoking, lower stress, run an ultra-marathon or start Yoga or Zumba.  The most common or popular resolutions: 1) Be with family more often; 2) Improve fitness; 3) Increase joy in life; 4) Lose body fat% or fat weight; and 5) Quit smoking.  What are yours?

1. _________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________

4. _________________________________________________________________

5. _________________________________________________________________

Fitness and health goals and resolutions are personable decisions with respective plans. They are great ideas in many ways.  So why are fewer of us making resolutions (~40%) and more importantly, why are we not meeting those resolutions each year?  Promises are promises.  Yes. They should not be broken in any way.  Yup.  So instead of deciding on the same old promises and doing the same old things we should aim to have a cosmetic-like face lift on making more practical or simple fitness or health goals and resolutions.  

#1: Make goals and resolutions you know you will keep!

#2: Make goals and resolutions and only complete them one at a time.

#3: Make goals and resolutions so each one can be completed within six months.

#4: Make goals and resolutions with a clear vision knowing what it will completely take.

#5: Think- “Why not?”

It’s obvious we want to change our ways.  But in order to change ourselves or something we must leave a little bit of ourselves or something behind in the past.  It’s paying the price! but “that” is simply thought of as getting rid of something to gain something.  Regards to exercise, health or wellness, it’s more motivating and reasonable to move away from pain and towards pleasure and well-being.  But our bodies and brains consciously and unconsciously resist change for better or worse.  It’s following the path of least resistance.  So of the questions “Do I know and really want to change something?” and “Is paying the price worth it?” - what can be done with the cosmetic-like face lift rules to create new paths of NO resistance?  Decision-making.  Exercising.  Time.

It's paramount to remember that every event has an emotional or physical response and together they respectively yield a happy or unhappy outcome.

Don't Stop No Mater How Far or High, It's In You.

The main thing is all or any fitness or health goals or resolutions should be clear goals or visions that state the benefits and how they will be played out and received over a period of time.  It’s a desired outcome or situation.  It is not a clear goal to  say “I want to lose body weight.”  Though you may be completely dissatisfied with your body figure or weight and want to improve your look or lower your health risks, its not visionary.   It’s visionary when you completely comprehend how and know why you want to achieve a resolution that will make you stay motivated and willing to pay the price- “Its every penny worth it!”  If you believe in yourself and know how to develop and follow through on a goal or resolution and understand why its important then you can earnestly and virtually guarantee success!  And that can be in July, August, November or December.  Any time!

Be Fit.  @Phytly.

Jeffrey Kazmucha