Forget New Year’s Resolutions

A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other. n~Author Unknow

There is a study that says that most people don’t keep their New Year’s resolutions; in fact, only 8% following through on them. If you are an “8 percent-er,” keep up the good work. If not, don’t drop out of the race. Consider a new way to get to the ‘finish line.’ Deadlines and pressure do not work for everyone.

As a former personal trainer, the New Year meant ‘big business’ – after the Holidays people were ‘gung ho’ to rid themselves of the result of Holiday splurges. I was hired to perform ‘extreme makeovers,’ and the pleas were all the same; “Help me! I was bad and now I want to punish myself into shape.” I took advantage of the opportunity to help clients set big goals, while they felt motivated to make big changes. Armed with structured regimens, clients stepped onto the treadmill and towards a new ‘them.’ I was hopeful. They were hopeful. I pushed them; they pushed themselves. A few clients dropped the Holiday pounds, but most just dropped out.

Over the years, I have learned a lot about motivation and what undermines it. Broken resolutions chip away at your self-esteem. Unused gym memberships, the Nordic Track in the corner of your bedroom (which is now a ‘clothes hanger’), the diet book gathering dust on the shelf…. all reminders of a ‘weak’ you. Perhaps the solution is to “quit the gym, throw out the Nordic Track and donate the diet books.”

Ask yourself this question, “Do goals and resolutions motivate me or feel like pressure?” If you answer, “pressure,” find ways to release the pressure and feel free to accomplish more, with less effort. Here’s an example of how this concept worked for me.

If You Can’t Walk…Crawl
As a health professional, I knew that I should drink more water. I just couldn’t wrap my head (or lips) around the idea of drinking eight glasses a day. So, I didn’t drink any water. My daily beverages consisted of coffee, tea, diet coke and an occasional glass of chardonnay. Occasionally, I’d make a resolution to drink 8 glasses of water a day, try it for two days, feel waterlogged and quit. Failure!

Finally, I decided to let go of ‘perfect’ and do what I could do. I promised myself that I would drink one large glass of water a day before I had my morning coffee. For a year now, it has been a pleasure to drink a 12 oz. glass of water (with a small amount of cranberry juice) first thing in the morning. This habit felt so good that after a month I decided to end my day the same way. (Extra credit: I get exercise going back and forth to the bathroom in the middle of the night.) On most days, I even drink a large glass of water mid-day. I am now in the habit of drinking approximately 36 oz. of water a day. Not the recommended eight glasses, yet I’ve noticed my energy levels have increased and my skin looks better – all added benefits (and more motivation!) to continue to drink up.

Long-term motivation comes from feeling good inside and taking action, as the result. Resolutions are based on correcting flaws. I feel fat. I need to lose ten pounds. I feel inadequate. I need to go back to school. Instead of making a big resolution to correct a negative, take one small step to achieve a positive. Lighten your load and take one baby step today towards your good health.

Baby Steps to Self-Care:
1. Before getting up take 1-2 minutes to practice breathing
2. Drink one glass of water before consuming morning coffee
3. Drink one cup of coffee instead of two cups of coffee
4. Stretch five minutes while in the morning showe
5. Skip the morning news
6. Take the stairs instead of the elevato
7. Listen to music while working to reduce stress, tap your feet and burn extra calories
8. Read one chapter of a book you’ve been meaning to start
9. Take a power nap (5, 10, 15 minutes can do wonders for your energy levels) – no need to lie down, just close your eyes and lean back in your office chai
10. Get outside - take a short walk outdoors to soak up negative ions (a natural energy source)

Create your own list and keep it simple, sweetie! Don’t commit to doing it all or doing it at once, turning these easy ideas into pressure. Just say “no” to overwhelm! Baby steps lead to walking; walking can lead to jogging; jogging can lead to running –OR if you don’t want to run, just keep walking!

“Slow and easy wins the race.” Try a baby step and see you at the finish line.