Resolutions are nothing more than goals.
It happens every year. In January, the gyms are filled with motivated, resolution-toting people determined to have a year of change. By February, most people have given up and gone back to their old habits. While I am all for personal improvement, resolutions are most often made with the intention of breaking them at some point.
Goals however, can be set, changed, updated, and achieved. So in 2020, I challenge you to adopt goals instead of resolutions. Instead of deciding your life is suddenly going to be different, set smaller goals, and focus on achieving them every day or week, instead of thinking about the entire year. Doing this will teach you a new mechanism to help achieve goals regularly, instead of just the first month of the year.
Adopt an active hobby. Active hobbies are super important for mental and physical health. An active hobby can be anything from a morning jog, to a weekly yoga session in the park with your besties. The only criteria are that you must enjoy it, it must involve movement, and you must do it regularly.
Try the 33 day challenge. It only takes 33 days to create a habit. In 2020 I challenge you to adopt a new fitness idea, (this could be a new routine at the gym, an evening run around the block, or jumping jacks in the morning). Do this thing consistently, for 33 days, and eventually it will feel weird if you don’t do it. When you get to that point, congratulations, you have developed a new healthy habit.
Join a team sport. Team sports are great for adults, because nobody really expects you to be perfect, and it’s a great way to meet new people and expand your social circle, thus augmenting your mental health. If you aren’t an athlete, choose something relatively easy, like a kickball league. Forcing yourself to leave your comfort zone will provide many health benefits, both physical and mental.
READ MORE: Five Motivational Reasons to Hit the Gym
Rethink your active wear. They say dressing the part is half the battle. I say, it doesn’t matter what you wear, as long as you show up to the gym. That being said, what you wear can greatly affect how you feel about yourself, and it can also affect your productivity. In 2020, take inventory of your gym clothes. Replace anything with holes in it. If your shoes are more than a year old, get new ones. Taking pride in your appearance while you work out can mean the difference between hitting the gym, and staying in bed on some days.
Learn to reward yourself. In life we tend to barrel towards our goals, degrade ourselves when we don’t reach them, and forget entirely, about rewards. In 2020, I challenge you to set your fitness goals with rewards in mind. If you hit your gym goals every week, indulge in a decadent dessert or Brunch on Sunday. If you have a great month of workouts, plan an entire cheat day where you indulge every unhealthy whim your healthy heart desires.
Living a fit lifestyle requires long term change, adopting habits, and sadly, denying yourself some of life’s pleasures. Those pleasures can, and should still be enjoyed in moderation. If you train yourself to view them as rewards, it will be great for your body, and your integrity.