It all boils down to motivation.
It's external motivation versus internal motivation.
A new year resolution is an external motivator. We attach a meaning to the new year like "oh, I'm going to get a 6-pack, I'm going to eat healthy, and I'm going to end this toxic relationship." People are saying "Happy New Year" and the air is filled with hope and excitement. The motivation to achieve your new year resolution is probably only going to last as long as the celebration that night. It's January 13th today, what does that resolution mean now? What's it going to mean on February 13th? All the sudden it's March 13th and you're sitting at a burger joint chowing down, no 6-pack, no healthy eating, sitting across from the toxic person. You forgot all about what you were trying to do because the external motivator (the new year) is gone now. Nobody is walking around on March 13th saying, "Happy New Year!"
The external motivation of the new year pushes us; never push through anything. Rather, find deep inside yourself the internal motivation to pull you toward the successful completion of your goals. Visualize the successful completion of your goals. Think about how you would feel accomplishing these goals, all the emotions. Imagine how every aspect of your life would be different at the successful completion of these goals and you will find the internal motivation to pull you through very quickly. Do this, and soon you'll want it bad enough that you cut yourself off from any other option. And don't just do this at the start of a new year; do it any day of the year. Anytime you want something, figure out what it's going to take to get it, develop a plan, and visualize the successful completion of that goal, feel it. Go even further and realize the emotions behind the reason you want to change. For example, if you're obese and want to lose 50 pounds, what's going to happen if you don't change your lifestyle? Well, simply put, you might die a lot sooner than you expect and you might not get to live for certain things you've been waiting for.
You want to be able to follow through and promise from within yourself that you will achieve your goals. Do that, and I promise you will follow through.
The truth hurts, but it's what we all need to hear, in any situation in life. If you appreciate hearing the truth, share this out to your friends on Facebook and check out my complete online health and fitness programs to jumpstart your health this year.
Cheers... and to maximizing health, of course,
Jordan Paris, NASM CPT
