Well, Turkey Day is officially behind us, and no kidding, Black Friday has ushered in the holiday season. As I sit here eating a homemade chocolate chip cookie and reflecting on most decisions I have made over the past year, it’s easy to get caught up in not having reached goals or failures that I have experienced. It appears the end of the year forces all of us to rethink what we have done, both failures and successes, and how much better we can be the next time around.
Here are some key ideas to think about as you prepare for the new year and those resolutions you know you will make:
- Target your strengths and leverage them. This not only means fitness needs (as in targeting the workouts you enjoy) but nutrition or life goals in general. Write down your strengths and focus on them daily. Exploiting your known strengths also helps define where you are lacking.
- Own your weakness but don’t dwell on the negative. I often refer to my favorite trainer, Tony Horton, and what he says. “Forget, ‘I can’t’ and instead say ‘I currently struggle with.’” You’ll find it’s easier to overcome your struggles by de-emphasizing your known weakness and its ability to control your life. Share with family and friends and ask for help. Any journey you undertake is rarely accomplished alone.
- Don’t OVERYLY restrict the things you love. You’ll walk yourself down a path to binge and then what? I always remind people that it’s okay to have the slice of pie, just not the WHOLE pie! Don’t believe me? I am totally eating another cookie just for spite.
- Define your goals and set a date to achieve them. I usually ask my clients to create a 90-day goal and a 180-day goal, because they offer hard targets. It doesn’t mean you’re a failure if you don’t get there, but having specific goals allows you to hyper-focus on making them reality. Just remember to be realistic.
Now that you have a set of ideas on which to focus your New Year’s resolutions, take the next month to orchestrate and discover what you really want. Look at any goals you didn’t complete or accomplish this past year as a learning lesson (as in, you didn’t fail, you were learning how to create a better path forward), When you're trying to achieve your best life, it's easy to create a plan, but if you have no follow-through you’ll suffer from “analysis paralysis”.
Don’t forget, it’s the holiday season, a time for joy, family, and reflection. Take the time to enjoy the moments you share with those around you. Wherever you are, give thanks and be grateful!! No matter what you’re doing, where you’re going, or what your journey looks like, celebrate!
As for me, it’s one more cookie and then about 50 pull-ups to keep the sugar in check!
