It is that time of the year again when new year’s resolutions seem to lose their appeal after attempts to accomplish them ends in failure time and time again. So you may start thinking about waiting until next year to start over again with a new mindset that this time you will get closer towards your goals.
These goals of yours may have been to start working out or to eat healthily, and maybe some of you have succeeded already. It was a goal of mine a few years ago to be healthier, and in this article, I will explain a few lessons I have learned along the way.
1. Embrace your body for what it is capable of doing for you.
There are many magazines and websites out there that glamorize a fit body, but they don’t seem to glamorize a person capable of reaching their goals no matter what that body of theirs looks like.
Sure there are plus size models and those who are older who still can do what their younger body used to do well, but the average person achieving results doesn’t seem to get the attention they deserve. So embrace your body for what it can and can’t do, because you might just surprise yourself along with your journey towards living a healthy life.
2. Change things up!
Routines get boring fast, so what I like to do which you might want to do, is to make two different routines according to alternating months. For example, my weekly routine for January is not the same as my weekly routine for February. I might have the same rhythm, but my workout videos are not the same. You always want to keep things fresh so that you will do it again and again with a sense of joy.
3.No food should be entirely off limits.
If you are a foodie, like me, then chances are you don’t want to think that some foods are bad and some are good. You might feel relieved when I tell you to indulge now and then on your bad cravings so that you reduce the risk of fixating on what you can and cannot have. This way, you can refocus your attention on more important things, like your goals.
4. Taking a break may be necessary for your well being.
Working out either a little bit every day or every few days is a great plan to stick by, but now and then, you need a break. This break shouldn’t last too long, or you will lose progress, so try not to take any more than a few months out to recover from exhaustion or injury.
For those who are foodies, maybe you could try to create a new recipe to distract yourself from not being able to workout. Or, you can try to enjoy the feeling that inactivity brings to you.
5.Listen to upbeat music to feel energized.
I found that listening to calming music while working out or even before working out did not work. So instead, try listening to upbeat, positive music to get yourself ready for either a good workout session or for your day in general. Listening to this kind of music will make either your workout or your day fly by before you even know it.
6.Take things slowly at first and build up from that.
My biggest mistake when I was first working out was that I wanted to just jump into a routine. I then had to decrease the time and days I worked out since and have eventually come to a good workout schedule, with changes happening only now and then so I don’t get bored easily.
7.Try rewarding yourself for every accomplishment, but not with food.
A reward for doing something like a workout is a good thing to want. Try rewarding yourself with something pleasant like a good book, movie, a place to travel to, a bath, etc. instead of just food. If you reward yourself with food after a good workout, you may hinder your progress towards your goals, therefore decreasing your chance to grow from them.
8.Always write down realistic goals to achieve.
What better time than the new year to have goals. I once thought that losing a certain amount of weight was a realistic goal, but maintaining that weight was the downside of that goal I failed to acknowledge for a while. Instead, I thought about reps since the weight I lifted remains the same, so that I might be stronger instead of thinner, and I know that that is a goal I can maintain and think positively about.
9. Don’t let the bad weather get you down.
The one thing that always puts me in a bad mood when I workout is the weather. I know more people jog outside in the warmer months and few people even go out for a walk when the weather is either colder or not ideal. I don’t know about you, but I love sunny and warm days too.
I feel energized when my mood is lifted due to the sun, but when the weather is bad, I feel like working out is a chore. What I would then do, after noticing this pattern is to change my perspective and try to imagine how I would feel after my workout. I workout indoors, so it is easier for me to cope in this way. If you exercise outdoors, then try listening to something positive or to just be present in the moment as you take in the scenery with a sense of new meaning.
10.No matter what, never give up on your goals.
Throughout the first year I worked out, I tracked my progress by taking monthly pictures. I felt like I wasn’t making much progress, but then I noticed how well I could hike up steep hills and how well I slept at night and woke up refreshed, and how I felt overall.
If you feel like you are never going to reach your goals, just think about trying to reach your goals for another day and another day until you either reach your original goals, or you reach something entirely new and exciting which sets you on another adventure towards reaching other goals. Goals are, after all, just a way for you to better yourself and achieve your highest sense of self. So don’t give up on your goals unless you want to give up on yourself. Just pick yourself back up and start at number one.
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