You’re going to make 2018 your best year yet. You’ve got a list of 29 resolutions and you’re going to fulfill every last one of them. Nothing can shake your resolve! Okay, cut that out. Let’s get real for a minute. If you want to make resolutions that stick, ZIP Fitness can show you how.
Be Realistic
First of all, don’t make a list a mile long. A long list will intimidate you by its sheer size. Even a shorter list that starts from unrealistic assumptions is setting you up for failure. Trying to lose weight? Rather than setting a goal to lose 30 pounds, set a goal to lose one pound per week. Getting back to the gym? Start by going twice a week, scaling up as you get into better shape.
Timing is Everything
Even if you’re starting out highly motivated, you won’t stay that way for very long if you try to accomplish everything all at once. So if your goals are to quit smoking, set a legitimate weight loss plan, run a 5K, learn photography, and take up meditation, try to think through a logical sequence. Trying to train for a race while you’re grumpy from lack of nicotine and starving because you’ve cut back your caloric intake is going to make you say “The hell with it” and crash on the sofa with a pack of butts at one hand and a bag of potato chips in the other. Pace yourself.
Change Your Thinking
Many times our resolutions are either directly or indirectly about what we’re giving up. Instead of focusing on the lack of cigarettes, remind yourself that you’ll soon be breathing easier. Instead of depriving yourself of all the stuff you like on a diet, remember it’s a lifestyle change and allow yourself things you really like in moderation. If you’re worried the time spent with your Chicago personal trainer will cut into time with your spouse, bring them along or find new ways to work this important lifestyle change into your daily routine.
Build In Accountability
Once you’ve come up with your resolutions, talk about them. Talk to your family, friends, and coworkers. Chances are, they’ve got some struggles of their own. Once you’ve gotten your resolutions out in the open, you’ll be more likely to keep them. There’s an added bonus: each of you can act as the others’ accountability buddies, lightening your mental and emotional load and keeping everyone on track.
Be Kind to Yourself
Admit to yourself right up front that you’re going to have bad days. You’ll smell cigarette smoke outside the bar and bum a smoke from someone. You’re going to have a slice or two more of that pizza than you intended when the delivery guy came. You’re going to have days when it’s too darn cold to go out for a run, too rainy to bike, or too sunny to spend doing cardio at the gym.
And that’s okay.
Just know that when you slip up, you have a big choice to make: you can view this as a speed bump and be kind to yourself — tomorrow’s another day — or you can view it as a failure. The choice you make will say a lot about whether you succeed long-term. Remember those accountability buddies? You’re probably kind to them, so be kind to yourself as well.
And remember that if you need a bit of help — whether it’s accountability, a warm place to work out in Chicago winters, or a personal trainer who’ll kick your butt and make you feel great about it — there’s a ZIP Fitness location that’s perfect for you.