January 1st and the new year are a time of change. The first month of the year is full of goals, aspirations, and resolutions. I, among many other individuals, am excited to begin fresh and to create new pathways. I look forward to what the new year has to offer me, and I set goals for myself that I hope to improve the life that I am currently living.
A commonality I notice this time of year is that individuals have the "new year, new me" mentality. They are ready to get fit, eat right, and turn their lives around so they are on a health-driven path. As an avid gym goer, January is always the most difficult month to continue my exercise regime. From struggling to finding a parking spot, to having to wait in line for equipment, your best bet, unless you want to be working out on top of other people, is to do your workout somewhere that isn't the gym. Another occurrence I have seen as we conclude the month of January is that the gym begins to clear out again about a month into the new year. All of the people who were new and determined to change their lifestyle have slowly given up and dwindled away. For me, it is unfortunate to see people who were so motivated burn out so quickly. However, I began to realize that these individuals were making the same mistakes I made each time I decided to change my habits and my exercise routine. Therefore, I feel that it is important to list out suggestions of what you can do to take your life in the healthier direction that you want it to go without facing a quick defeat.
Take it slow.
For the past couple of years, every single time I attempted to change my lifestyle it was all or nothing. The day that I chose to change my life I would drop every single old habit I had and do a complete 180. I can't even begin to think about how many times that that lasted maybe 3 days and then failed. I've been told that it takes 21 days to create a habit, but we also can't forget that we have all of these habits that we have already established. In order to gain new habits, we must also break old ones, which takes just as much time. Therefore, you have to learn to be content with trusting the process. It is going to take longer then you want it to, but by making subtle changes such as drinking an extra glass of water per day, or going to the gym twice a week instead of not at all, change will come. This will help you slowly begin to replace old habits with new ones and will lead you to a lengthier success and ability to achieve your goals.
You don't always have to wait for January 1st or for Monday or for Day 1.
Another struggle I faced was I would do really well with eating healthy and working out for three or four days, but as soon as I would mess up that was it. I would have to give up and wait until the next Monday to start all over again. In my mind, if it did not start at the beginning of a week or the start of a set time frame, it wasn't happening.
In reality, it simply doesn't matter. Whether you are an individual who is choosing to enjoy the last of their holiday season and then begin the new year on the right foot, or it is simply a random Tuesday in April that you decide it is time for a change, it shouldn't matter. What matters is that you are making a choice, that you want to make, that will change and impact your life in some way. So whether you started January 1st, tomorrow, or 6 months from now, be content with where you are now but also look forward towards what you wish to achieve.
Lose the need to impress or be influenced by other individuals.
This is a huge struggle that I faced for a long time. The influence that we as individuals receive from those around us is unreal. I spent way too long being so concerned about what other people's opinions were about the changes I was making, that I forgot the true reason that I was setting these goals in the first place.
It is difficult to let go of the influence of others, and it is still something that I face every single day. But, this resolution is not going to find success if we who make these goals forget who we are working for. We are working for ourselves, by ourselves, and what we do with our body and our health does not concern others. So remember who this is for, because if it is what you want, then all you have to worry about pleasing is yourself.
You don't have to give 100% every single day.
We must remember that despite all of these efforts to change our habits, we are still human. We have indulgences, we have cravings, we decide to go out with our friends instead of fitting in a workout, or we choose to order fries instead of a salad. These aren't sacrifices, this is living. And sometimes, it is okay to just live a little.
Beating yourself up because you decided to have a little bit of fun will send you on a downward spiral. I remember the choice to not have a little bit of fun and get a dessert because all of my friends were would eat me alive emotionally. I would find myself at a crossroad of feeling guilty for making the choice to have a treat and for feeling sorry for myself because I said no. It is hard to realize that this type of mentality will make it harder to find success. But it is also important to look at these choices not as mistakes, but as opportunities to enjoy this one life that you have been given, and trust in yourself that you will get right back to achieving your goals without feeling guilty or regretful.
Try your best to remember that truly every person is different.
Being in such a digitally driven age makes this statement so difficult. We are in a constant state of being told how to improve ourselves based off of the opinions of other people. It is the harsh reality we face of growing up in such a technology savvy society. Therefore, I find this reminder to be important. We hear all the time that each of us is unique and different, but it takes one's own mentality to make that statement convincing.
Making an effort to remember that you progress in your own way, that is unique to you, is what is going to help you keep pushing forward. Take pride in the little changes you notice in yourself, whether it be that your balance has improved because your core is stronger, or you have a baby bicep muscles that is starting to peak its way through. Keep your focus on your own improvements and enjoy the little progressions you see. You are working hard and you should be proud of that.
It is hard, but not impossible.
Above all, it is not an easy road to rearrange all of the habits you have been practicing for so long. This journey is tough, time consuming, and exhausting. But you are intelligent, powerful, and stronger than you think you are. Stay focused and keep pushing forward, because this is only the beginning.