New Year's Resolution? It's time.
When was the last time you made a New Year’s Resolution and completed it? Did you know that approximately 45% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, but only about 8% succeed*? Ouch! Research also shows that 50% of people that start an exercise program quit. Double ouch! These aren’t the best odds. However, YOU are an exception! 2015 is YOUR year! It’s a new chance to get it right! So how do we do this (yes, I said “we.” We are in th
is together!)? First, determine what your goal or resolution is. Be realistic with it. Maybe you want to commit to exercising 3 days a week. Maybe you have 20lbs of baby weight that never came off and you want it gone. Maybe you simply want to run a mile without having your heart pound out of your chest. Whatever it is, write it down, hang it on the fridge, and don’t remove it until it’s complete. As you set forth in your journey to succeed in your resolution, it is vital that you remember the following things: It’s hard work. “Nothing worth having comes easy.”…it’s one of my favorite quotes and isn’t it oh so true? Think about it. Raising kids = hard work. Having a strong, healthy marriage = hard work. Holding a demanding job = hard work. Pursuing an education = hard work. Exercising and maintaining a healthy lifestyle = hard work! Recognize that it’s going to be hard and push through. Health is worth having! Results don’t come immediately. Period. It takes time. Sometimes a long time. If you commit, and I mean truly commit, results will come. Yes, you may be sore from your workout and yes you may feel sluggish after a diet change and no, those few pounds may not go immediately but stay true to yourself and keep going. The results will come. I promise. Setbacks happen. Sometimes we stray from the path and need help getting back on. Sometimes we’ve been going in the wrong direction and need someone to lead us back. And sometimes, we simply cheat ourselves and we aren’t doing the things we know we need to do. So you slip up, it’s not the end of the world. Don’t throw your goal or resolution out the window! You can do this. Do you truly believe this is something you can accomplish? If it’s not, you may end up being part of the 50% who quit. Another one of my favorite quotes: “The body achieves what the mind believes.” Believe in yourself, believe you will succeed…and then succeed! Cheers to 2015! See you all soon. Christina * Study conducted by the University of Scranton that has been published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology
