by Matt Weik
I might as well start off with a disclosure for this article. You will find both humor and the brutal truth in this article. The fact of the matter is, your fitness New Year resolution is complete and utter bullshit – there’s no other way to sugar-coat it. You can dip a turd in chocolate but at the end of the day, it’s still a turd.
Ask Yourself Some Honest Questions
The first question you need to ask yourself as the end of the year approaches and we look forward to breaking in a new year together is “why am I making this fitness New Year resolution?” What do you want to accomplish? What is going on in your life that is causing you to want to do this and challenge yourself? Are you sick? Do you feel terrible? Are you finding you’re too weak to do things and activities you have done in the past and want to make a change? You need to answer that question.
The second question you should be asking yourself is “what the f*ck took me so long to start it and why haven’t I started it already?” What held you back from starting this new “journey” in June or July? Why does it take a new year to start a new challenge and better yourself? Wouldn’t you want to start as soon as possible because it’s to YOUR advantage to achieve your goal? People who wait until a new year to start something are generally weak individuals. They make excuses of why they can’t do it now and they put things off. How exactly is your mindset going to shift when it strikes midnight and the date is now January 1? Are you going to turn into a pumpkin, Cinderella? You’re setting yourself up for failure if you think you’ll wake up New Year’s Day motivated to make a change. Maybe you will? But that won’t last long as statistics show.
The third question you should ask yourself is “if I haven’t started it or stuck with it in the past, how will this go-around be any different?” Why did you fail in the past? What happened to have you fall off the wagon and give up? What can you do differently this time to ensure you don’t quit or give up? If we don’t change the way we think as well as our actions, we are doomed for history to repeat itself – especially when it comes to health and fitness goals. Dedicating yourself and your lifestyle to be conducive towards achieving your goals will not be easy. You’re going to be challenged more than once. Are you going to be able to stay rock steady and not waiver from your path?
Listen, by now I’ve probably got your panties all bunched up. But the above is the cold hard truth. You’ve failed in the past. You’re going to fail again. I’m not saying this to frustrate you, I’m saying it to prevent you from following in the same footsteps you did prior. You need to think about the things I just said above and answer them honestly. What has changed to all of a sudden make you think you can do it now? Why is it taking a “new year new you” mentality and approach to get motivated and how will you be able to keep that same motivation going into the new year? Do you see what I’m getting at?
If It’s a Priority, Make It a Priority
The only way for you to adhere to your fitness New Year resolution is to make it a priority. Whether it is weight loss, muscle-building, nutrition-related, or even something like running a race or marathon, you need to make it a priority. That means you need to schedule workouts/training during your week. Put it in your calendar and make sure you don’t get sidetracked. Don’t let anything or anyone stop you from achieving your fitness New Year resolution goal(s).
You need to set goals for yourself and write them down. You want to have a visual to keep you accountable for your actions. Also, have a support team around you who will call you out when you start to slip. You want to put yourself in the best position to win and in order to do that, you need multiple layers.
Set your short-term goals so they will eventually lead you to your long-term goal. Make sure that your goals are not only attainable but measurable. You want to be able to track your progress to ensure you are heading in the right direction and if not, be able to assess the situation and make the necessary changes to get back on track. In the same sentence, don’t create a goal that will have you shoot yourself in the foot from the start. Losing 30 pounds in a month or gaining two inches on your arms in a month is not realistic and you’ll end up frustrated and quit before even giving yourself a real fighting chance.
I want you to achieve your goals, but you need to want to do it for yourself more than anything. You need to change your mindset to NOW rather than LATER. I encourage you to start your journey as soon as you’re done reading this article. There’s no better time than now to start. The longer you put it off, the more excuses you are going to have why you never began or never stuck with it. Get ahead of the curve by kickstarting the process before the holiday even hit.
