BY EMMET RUSHE: Here we are again. It’s January. It’s January 2016.
The new wave of ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ will have started as people set out to undo the Christmas excess and ‘finally’ reach their goals.
If I have seen one ‘New Year, New You’ meme, I must have seen a hundred.
Every year it is the same thing; motivating posts, detoxes, weight loss shakes and workout programs that seem to get shorter each year.
Let’s face it, if these actually worked we wouldn’t be back here again, repeating the same old mantra: ‘This year is my year.’
Yet with all these options available, statistics show us that 90% of New Year’s Resolutions won’t make it to the end of January.
The reason for this is that the goals that people set are end-goals.
For example, It is very easy to say that you want to lose 2 stone.
Actually losing the 2 stone is the hard part.
What are you going to do to actually lose the 2 stone?
Have you thought out that part?
Do you know the path that you need to take in order to succeed in the goal that you have in mind?
Without a clear path you could end up spinning your wheels regarding your goals.
So what do we do?
Don’t worry, I am going to give you some simple tips that will help to keep you motivated as you set out.
Here’s what I want you to do.
Take out your calendar and plan out the next few weeks on it regarding your exercise and your nutrition.
Mark in any events that you have coming up that might set you back slightly from your overall goal.
Once you know they are there, you can prepare for them in advance.
Don’t worry about a weight stall that week, or even a slight gain, that is to be expected if you have an event like a wedding or a birthday in the middle of your plan.
The main thing to remember is that once it’s over, it is time to get back on track and stay focused.
Now on the calendar, set yourself smaller mini-goals that you can work towards.
Once you have your main goal in mind, allow enough time to reach it.
For example, 2 stone is 28lbs.
If you allow for 1 lbs weight loss per week, that’s 28 weeks to reach your goals.
Please don’t flinch at the thought of 28 weeks and think of it as a long time, it really isn’t.
This is why we are going to set mini-goals in-between to help keep you motivated.
So, instead of saying that you want to lose 2 stone, let’s say that by the end of January, you will have 5lb off.
If we are allowing for 1lb weight loss per week, that leaves you 1lb over your target.
You have just achieved a small win.
Winning keeps motivation high.
The next goal can be something else.
Take out a pair of jeans that are a bit snug.
Hang them up in plain sight and make them fit over the next 4 weeks.
If you succeed, along with a weight loss win, you now can fit into a pair of jeans that you probably had given up on.
Another small win to keep your motivation high.
Your goal could be to exercise 4 times each week, not only will this help with your weight, but it will also improve your fitness and your health.
This system is not a quick fix. It is not intended to help you to lose a large amount of weight in a short period of time, but rest assured, if you start making small changes like this, not only will you lose weight, you will be more likely to keep it off.
These small changes can help you to breed new habits and because you are allowing a suitable time frame to adjust to these changes, you are more likely to succeed in keeping them.
It will take slightly longer to achieve your goals, but you will achieve them and along with achieving them you will have achieved numerous mini goals along the way.
If you have been doing the same thing for a while now and it isn’t working, try stepping outside your comfort zone and try something new.
You might just love it.
#TrainSmart
To keep up-to-date with tips and information on how to stick to your goals in 2015, check out my page through the link below.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rushe-Fitness/120518884715118
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