Don’t be a Resolutioner

Happy 2013 y’all!! Did you have a great time ringing in the new year? I managed to make it until 11pm to watch the East Coast celebrate 2013. Wooooo! I sure know how to party into the wee hours of the night, right?  On the plus side, I did get to take advantage of the last day of empty machines at the gym.

I adore getting free range of any machine that I want; I’m like a kid in a candy store.  But I know that as of yesterday the gym was filled with New Year resolutioners.  Each year tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands, flock to the gym in an attempt to make good on their 2013 goals.  For that very reason I chose to spend my first workout of 2013 avoiding the fuss of the gym.

6 mile tempo run in 95% humidity and 70* heat. Happy New Year to me!
My Sparkly Soul band kept all the sweaty flyaways our of my face.

Even though I just fussed about the gym, I have to admit that I enjoy the chaos during the first week in January.  I love that every machine is full and I love even more seeing people who haven’t exercised in awhile getting after it. But here’s the thing, I know that by the third week in January, most of the shiny newness of those 2013 fitness goals have worn off which means the gym will go back to it’s pre-New Year population.

Somehow putting down the goals on paper isn’t quite enough to keep most New Year resolutioner’s avid attention.  I’ve been there, I get it.  Life has a way of derailing even the most well intentioned goals.  So what does it take to stick with your goals and not become a resolutioner? When I was thinking about how to answer that question, I considered several years of resolutions.  I’ve broken dozens of resolutions in my life but it’s the ones that I stuck with that really caught my attention.  What did I do differently that year to not drop out like normal? This is what I came up with.

How to not be a New Year Resolutioner:

1.  Make your goals attainable. Don’t choose a goal you know you can’t achieve; it’s setting yourself up for failure. By doing this you’re actually sabotaging all your goals, not just that one.
2. Break them into smaller goals. Achieving smaller goals throughout the year will give you a confidence boost and help you reach your ultimate goal. Before I ran the Marine Corps Marathon I started with a 5k. Small goals lead to bigger goals.
3. Make yourself accountable. Be annoying; tell everyone you know what you want to accomplish. Bu doing this you put a fair amount of pressure on yourself. Even better, get some accountability partners. Friends who will hold your feet to the fire when the going gets tough.  This one personally worked wonders for me when I hooked up with running friends.
4. Be determined. You can’t accomplish anything unless you first believe in yourself and recognize the hard work that you’re going to put into making things happen.
5. Reevaluate. If something’s not working and you’re tempted to give up on your goals, take time to reevaluate what’s not working. It’s totally ok to decide something’s not right for you.  Instead, consider altering your goals. Get rid of what doesn’t work and don’t be afraid to try new tactics.  This does not mean you’re a failure.

Now that you have some working tips on how to stick to our New Year resolutions, I hope you feel more comfortable with what you’re trying to accomplish this year.

And now as promise, I’m excited to announce the Sparkly Soul giveaway headband winner.  There were 101 entries and, using Random.org, lucky comment #80 was the winner.  Congrats, Kristy, get ready to sparkle! I’ll be getting in touch with you soon with all the details.  I know you’ll be stoked to experience first hand how this band doesn’t slip and slide like the rest – cheers!

Question:  What do you do when the going gets tough with New Year resolutions? I’d love to hear any tips that work for you!