We’ve all done it.
We made a “resolution” to be better in some way because the New Year is, in a way, a new beginning, a new slate to fill with all of the good and none of the bad.
It’s been 6 days since the new year began.
How are those resolutions going?
Resolutions are typically about fixing what is “wrong with you” and can be the result of outside expectations as opposed to what drives you internally.
Maybe you actually DON’T want to do all of the things you decide on doing when motivation is high for a positive change and when the slate is clean.
Maybe your inner voice has been conditioned to think in a way that prioritizes what others say is a priority as opposed to what you are actually yearning to do.
Maybe you have set resolutions in the past because it’s just what you think you are supposed to do, so when this time of year comes around, you actually take longer than 15 seconds to think about what it is you want to get out of life and achieve.
Do you perform that practice at any other time in the year?
Or do you only focus on the fact that now you “have to get it done” and fizzle out before the end of January?
Here’s my suggestion: [disclaimer: I’m no sage or wise man on a mountain; just a husband and a father of three little girls wanting to continually be better for his family and maybe help others to live a healthier life.]
Focus on your habits
Habits are things you don’t have to consciously think about doing. You just do them because of a pattern of triggers, responses, and consequences that you’ve repeated (voluntary or involuntary) over the weeks, months, and years.
Many books have been written about habits. If you’ve never read about them, a solid starter would be Mini Habits by Stephen Guise. It’s barely over 100 pages and it helps you kickstart your new process for developing better habits quickly.
Why focus on habits?
Habits are things you do everyday. From simply putting on your shoes after putting on your socks to putting your running shoes right by your bed signaling to you that once your alarm goes off in the morning you will be going for a 3 mile run; habits are a constant stream of triggers, responses, and rewards that are either positive or negative.
Since we perform these habits everyday, why not take advantage of that repetition by hacking them and making them work for us to reach our lifelong goals?
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle
Resolutions can be very good. Perhaps they’ve worked for you in the past. Resolutions might sound something like “Exercise more”, “Be more grateful”, and “Be more present”.
Those are all broad resolutions.When your willpower and motivation are low, what does “Be more grateful” look like? You’re not always going to feel grateful, but if you’ve incorporated a habit of finding just one thing to show gratitude for in a day and that is your only goal each day, you have the potential to re-frame your perspective and eventually your mind will naturally start looking for things to be grateful for. That mindset can help make you appreciate life more and it starts with that one little habit change.
Don’t shoot for the moon hoping you’ll “land among the stars.” Read something about rockets first.
With athletic performance, you must keep track of the important metrics used in the specific event that is being competed in. Some events prioritize speed. Some events prioritize strength. Each individual participating in the event has their own strengths and weaknesses and it is the role of the strength and conditioning professional to determine where the individual needs to be performance wise in “X” amount of time. With that end goal in mind, you can work backwards and break your target goal down into the sum of its parts. What needs to be done every day to get you to the goal by the time you want to be there?
It’s relatively simple but often overlooked.
Choose the daily tasks that give you the best benefit over the course of time. Tasks that you can maintain without having to draw on too much willpower to get them done and tasks that have the biggest “bang for your buck” such as chewing your food slowly. It’s stupid simple but what chewing slowly will do is help you digest your food better, absorb more nutrients, and you will realize you are full before you shovel another plate of food in your mouth which should make you eat a little less. Over time, tasks like that will become habit and you will be able to build upon them to accomplish more than a 2 week exercise burn out at the beginning of the year or 21 day extreme diet/cleanse/tea supplementation could ever do.
The primary reason is because it is maintainable!
Choose maintainable progress over short sprints of burnout and exhaustion. Consistency will give you the greatest benefits when it comes to living a healthier, fitter lifestyle. It doesn’t matter what program you’re on to lose weight, get stronger, or move faster if you don’t actually do it. You don’t become excellent overnight. If it’s important to you, you take small steps every day to get you closer to your goal. It might not look like much progress over a couple of weeks or months, but eventually you will have developed the lifestyle that rewards those consistent efforts. So get to it.
Take Luck,
Bryce Berry, CSCS
P.S. – Is exercise the habit you wish most to make consistent? That’s kind of my thing. I’m a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist by the internationally recognized NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) and I work with busy moms and time-stretched dads who never seem to have enough spare time to devote to a healthier lifestyle. Through a hybrid model of online training and one-on-one sessions, I meet you where you are and help you reach your goals quicker than if you were to go at it alone. Fill out my online consultation form when you decide you’re ready to take the next step to invest in a lifestyle of health. After I review your responses and we get a chance to talk, our journey will begin immediately if we’re a good fit 🙂
Here’s the link for the consultation form: Click Me!
And here’s a little more info About Me
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