January 1st marked the start of a new decade. Typically people begin each year by setting a New Year’s resolution. Statistically, it only takes until the 12th of January for most of us to break them. But, how can you turn your usually short-lived resolution into a lifestyle change?
The odds are stacked against you. Creating a new lifestyle takes time and effort. The reality is that we simply do not have the room in our lives for these resolutions to come to fruition.
But, new behaviours don’t become automatic overnight. keep in mind that exercise alone won’t change your body. If you are looking for a radical physical overhaul, you will have to look at diet, too.
There is no doubt that it takes a certain level of willpower to achieve your fitness goals. However, studies suggest that willpower is a finite resource. This explains why such a large proportion of those who make resolutions ultimately fail. Stay motivated by always Rewarding yourself for achieving your goals, however small.
Successfully achieving your New Year’s resolutions requires building a positive environment. Seek the support of like-minded people; start saying ‘no’ to distractions. We simply have too many other responsibilities, commitments and distractions that we give too much priority towards, there just isn’t the space for it in our busy lives.
Make your New Years resolution SMART, an acronym first used by the journal Management Review in 1981 it stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely.
Specific – Make your resolution clear rather than sweeping or vague statements like ‘I want to lose weight’. Have a goal: how much weight exactly do you want to lose and in what time frame?
Measurable – Make your fitness goal measurable. Set key milestones to achieve that build to your greater goal. If your resolution is to lose a stone in 7 weeks, target losing two pounds weekly.
Achievable – Don’t make your New Year’s resolution easy but realistic. Unrealistic goals will only set you up for failure. The healthy average for weight loss is 1 or 2 pounds a week so, for example, setting a goal of losing a stone in 4 weeks is unattainable.
Relevant – Are you making the right decision? Is the goal reachable given your time and resource?
Timely – A SMART goal must be time-bound in that it has a start and finish date. If the goal is not time-constrained, there will be no sense of urgency and motivation to achieve the goal. Ask yourself:
- Does my goal have a deadline?
- By when do you want to achieve your goal?
Outline your goals – Firstly, outline your fitness goal. By this point, you should know what it is going to be. If you’re struggling to decide what may be attainable speak to one of our personal trainers today by booking a free consultation.
Create an action plan – Focus your plan around indulging in habits and goals that will bring your New Year’s resolution to fruition. This step is going to take some time to complete because diet and workouts need to be planned out into a weekly calendar. We advise contacting your Personal Trainer for help with this stage. They can provide you with a bespoke plan that will increasingly challenge over the next year.
Make sure to include mini-goals along the way, small pitstops to make you realise your achievements to date.
Take action – Now your plan is in place it’s time to take action. It is at this point where many people go wrong. With newfound enthusiasm, they jump straight in and sprint for the finish line. They take on so much at the beginning they burn out to become overwhelmed and demotivated from a lack of results.
The journey in front of you is a marathon and not a sprint. Follow your action plan and allow your body time to recover in between workouts.
Maintain consistency – You might question whether the effort is all worth it? We all experience bouts where we lack in motivation. Pushing through the wall can sometimes be the hardest challenge but it creates routine. However never punish yourself if you do slip up, just wake up the next day and continue. Punishing yourself can do more harm than good.
Seeking motivation? Speak to your trainer or join one of the multiple online forums with likeminded people when you need that little extra hand to get your training gear on.
Hold yourself accountable – The final step? Hold yourself accountable for your choices, decisions, and actions as you make progress along your journey.
New year’s resolutions are meant to be a challenge. At DELTA Fitness our specially trained instructors will make your fitness goals achievable by following our five company cornerstones:
- Results Matter
- Accountability
- Passion
- Knowledge
- Motivation
Our success stories speak for themselves. Book a free consultation today and begin your 2020 fitness journey.