A How-To Guide On New Year's Resolutions.

2014.  It's almost officially a new year!

At the beginning of 2014, most of us will take it upon ourselves to establish fitness and health goals or resolutions.  It is the most appropriate and common time to establish these.  Well, sort of. We are in fact creatures of habit and either routinely quit or stall on these things.

But what if you could be given a guide or helped on how to build reasonable, simple New Year's goals or resolutions and instructed on how to follow through to succeed at them?

In January, about one in three Americans resolve to better themselves in some way; however, a very small percentage of them actually follow through. The New Year begins and among those that develop and implement plans for resolutions about 75% of them adhere towards their resolution(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 resolutions, if any, because they are not likely to stick to them.  That seems reasonable. But it seems like a cop-out too.  It is in fact the act of goal setting and the grind of hard work that makes fulfilling them more 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 ..... crunch after crunch, lunge after lunge, squat after squat.

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

  

The definition of a goal 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.  When you discontinue a resolution you may no longer be determined to do it or possibly unable to revise action plans. Though there may be other financial or personal reasons too. Ultimately, resolutions are active, decisive thoughts that have many difficulties and roads to overcome and as a result you will need to change your action plans and form constant reminders in order to reach them over time.

So, what will be your fitness or health goals this year?  Will you have a plan to adhere to and complete them?  Will you know of any difficulty or obstacles to following through?  It’s a great time to do it now. If you can't think of any here are the most 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. There's also do a Cross Fit Competition, run an Ultra-marathon and try Zumba.  So, what are yours?

The following exercise should be performed for each goal or resolution.  1) Develop a primary goal or resolution and 2) Divide it into a few mini-goals with respected plans of actions. 3) Identify any obstacles or roadblocks.  4) Set a deadline.  And 5) Set up constant reminders.    

   GOAL #1.

     RESOLUTION: __________________________________________________________

     MINI-GOAL #1: __________________________________________________________

     MINI-GOAL #2: __________________________________________________________

     MINI-GOAL #3: __________________________________________________________

     PLANS OF ACTIONS: ____________________________________________________

     ________________________________________________________________________

     OBSTACLE(S): __________________________________________________________

     COMPLETION DATE: _____________________________________________________

     CONSTANT REMINDER(S): ________________________________________________

Fitness and health goals or resolutions are personable decisions with respective plans. They are great ideas in many ways.  They inspire us or motivate us to accomplish or be better at something - financially, physically, socially or spiritually.  So why are fewer of us making resolutions (~40%) and more importantly, why are we not meeting those resolutions each year?  Promises are promises.  And they should not be broken in any way.  That destroys our body, emotions, mind and soul.  So instead of deciding on the same old promises and doing the same old things you should consider the following "five" to have a cosmetic-like face lift on making more practical or simple fitness and health goals or resolutions. 

   THE COSMETIC-LIKE FACE LIFT "FIVE" : 

     #1: Make goals with action plans you know you will keep!

     #2: Make goals into mini-ones and complete them one at a time.

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

     #4: Make goals with a clear reminders knowing what it will completely take.

     #5: Recreate action plans throughout the year, but ultimately Think - “Why not?”

It’s obvious we want to change our ways.  But in order to change ourselves or something you must leave a little bit of yourself 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 "five" rules to create new paths of NO resistance?  Decision-making.  Exercising.  REMINDERS.  Time.

It's only understandable we can only process or remember a certain number of things consciously versus subconsciously.  In fact, it has been proven scientifically you can only process or think of approximately seven to nine things at the conscious level.  Therefore we must develop reminders to spend the best amount of our energy, motivation and time on them so we can complete them within a reasonable amount of time.  And without a doubt the best means to developing reminders is via listening to at looking at them.  Hear No Evil, See No Evil.  Well, in this case - Hear What Am, See What Want.

     #1) Each morning listen to a voice recording about your goals, and life visions.  

Click HERE to Know How to Properly Make a Vision Board.

     #2) Every day and often look at a properly constructed and placed vision board.  


The voice recording and vision board are as important as goal setting in regards to developing and fulfilling goals or resolutions.  These can provide us with constant reminders.  And though these have become more popular in recent years due to the celebrity marketing and expansions in technology, they are underused.  For #1) it's essential to listen each morning to a voice recording of your resolutions. You can make a voice recording and listen on a computer desktop or mobile device.  It's best to do this while meditating in quietness so you can feel the energy and passion, and see a plan of action or visualize the words.  With #2) it's imperative to cut out or make personal notes or pictures of things that are inspirational or motivational and relate to your resolutions and post them on a poster board or onto a wall.  You can also use an app on your computer desktop, mobile device or phone to copy and paste notes or pictures.  And daily, you will want to glance at your vision board, and similarly with the voice recording, ponder in quietness so you can feel the energy and passion, and see a plan of action.  Think, I will have these fruit (goals/visions) by planting and harvesting these seeds (plans of actions) over this period of time.        

It's paramount to remember that every goal or resolution has emotional and physical responses and together they respectively yield a happy or unhappy outcome.  Remain true to and think positive of yourself.  The only negative outcome comes from one that has no try or is not from within.

Inspiration comes from outside things.  Motivation happens from within - Within You!

Don't Stop No Matter How Far or Hard It Is.  It's In You.

The main thing about any New Year's goal or resolution is you should clearly state the benefits and how it will be played out and received over time.  It’s a desired outcome or situation. Otherwise you would not have thought of it. And it is not a clear goal to say “I want to lose body weight.”  Though you may be dissatisfied with your body figure or weight and want to improve your look or lower your health risks. It's just 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 - “It's every penny worth it!”  If you believe in yourself and know how to develop and follow through on a resolution and understand why its important then you can earnestly and virtually be motivated and proud and more likely see a successful outcome!  And you will find that there is no "STOP" in you.  You also must not forget to use voice recording and vision boards year round!!!