Now that New Year’s is gone and some of the resolutions have lost their shine, this is the time to really take those resolutions for better health and appearance to the next level – the level of permanent change.
I tend compare this change to going from a new romance to a long-term committed relationship. It's easy to stay in a relationship when you are first “in love”. The feeling alone keeps you going. Everything is new and kind of thrilling. Once the “in love” feeling goes away, that's when the real relationship starts. You deal with the good, the bad, and the ugly of the relationship and the person. It's this process that gives you a true investment in the relationship and makes it worth all the effort. Making a resolution a “way of life” is no different. Even if you have currently lost sight and the “in love” feeling of your goals, you can regain your commitment, identify your pit falls, and realize this is all part of the process towards make a long, lasting relationship with your fitness. In this article I will give to the keys to developing that change.
Weigh and connect to the benefits of change
If your goal was to eat better and to workout regularly, ask yourself why this goal was important to begin with? How did you feel while you were eating healthy? By focusing on the result, and not the behaviors, you are more likely to stay motivated.
Help yourself help you
Give yourself all the help and support you can by creating a sense of accountability to others. Encourage family and friends to assist you with your quest to a fitter you. Keeping a log of your workouts, and tracking how far you have come will also help. We all want to be able to do it on own however, some outside help may be needed to keep you motivated.
Banish and sacrifice vices, while embracing and committing to new virtues
It may not be simple to change every "negative" in your life into a "positive", but every success will give you the confidence to do it again. It could be that your goal was too large and overwhelming. If you're changing something major in your life, start with an aspect that is small and less intimidating. When you succeed with that, you will gain confidence with the next step.
Believe in your ability to change
See yourself where you want to be and believe you can be there. Creating self doubt and excuses will impair your end result. Focus instead on what you want, not on what you don’t want. Avoid wishful thinking and concentrate instead on the importance of the results.
Keep the goals in clear view
As days go by, we can easily slip back into our old habits and patterns. By keeping a list of your goals in a visible place that you see daily, you are more likely to be successful. Keep your list close and update it as you reach each new level of success. Also, by reading your goals daily and repeating them to yourself, it will help you stay stay focused on achieving those goals.
Sacrifice is giving up something good for something better
Discipline requires you to do things you do not always want to do, but it's essential for success. Some of the changes we want to make may initially seem unpleasant and inconvenient, but changing these behaviors makes it easier to achieve your overall success. Discipline is the pathway to options. If you don't have the discipline to practice the piano, you will never have the option to play the piano.
Get to your maintenance phase before trying to make more changes
When you're finished with your old habit and move into your new way of life, it takes a lot less energy to maintain it than it did to get there. Once you get to cruise control with one change, start focusing on the next goal.
If you are wobbling with your commitment to your New Year's Resolution, then you are in the perfect place to make it a permanent change in your life. Try one or all the above tips and take your newly, “in love” resolution to the long lasting relationship of a healthy and fit life. “I now pronounce you happily wedded to your fitness goals!”
- Natasha Atkinson
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