Jan brings the "new year, new me" crowd and February brings real life crashing back down on us all.
If your new year habits are starting to come un-glued don't worry, It happens to us all.
Many people believe that when their good habits begin to drop off that they just need more motivation.
No.
Motivation is an exhaustible source so there comes a time when actually, maybe, you need to take a look at your grand plans and tweak them to make them easier.
These lads have broken down some of the science behind motivation. The video is only a few minutes long so have a cheeky watch and then come back. Please.
Back? Ok, interesting isn't it? Now, set aside a few minutes, get yourself a pen, paper, and answer the questions I've posted here:
1. What is your goal, SPECIFICALLY?
- Get fit isn't specific enough, what does fit look like to you? Use numbers, dates etc. Measurable metrics are best.
2. What work is involved in being 100% committed to this goal?
- This could be the frequency you attend the gym, how regularly you choose healthier options or cut out alcohol. Again, numbers are your friend.
3. What are your biggest barriers to this goal?
- Time is a frequent issue. Is it a lack of available time, your management of time, time of day?
4. Would more knowledge on the subject be useful?
- A lot of resources are free but paying for advice can be a worthwhile shortcut. If you had the funds, what would you like "done for you?"
5. What would a 50% commitment to the goal look like?
- Instead of 4 sessions of gym a week, is it 2? Is it wine only on Wednesday and Friday rather than everyday? NUMBERS.
Finally:
6. Out of 10, how motivated are you to achieve this goal?
7. Why did you not say a lower number?
Pay particular attention to this last answer and dig as deep as you need. Sometimes I like to ask why up to 3 times, it's amazing how fast "I want to feel fit" becomes "I don't feel like I'm getting the most out of my life and I don't want to feel old early."
Done? OK. Pair this with the actions needed for 50% commitment and START THERE.
People often begin with very lofty expectations that you would never find reasonable of anyone else. Your weight/fitness/strength are reflective of your lifestyle, which stands to reason that changing any of these things requires a change in lifestyle.
But, your lifestyle is made up of every choice you make over the course of a day and now, you've got a goal that stands to contradict those choices. It's hard. Your lifestyle is dictated by how long you work, where your kids go to school, the choices of friends and family, cultural practices and your goals are going to conflict with some of these lifestyle points. That's a lot of willpower.
So what do you do?
My best advice is:
Do less, more consistently.
3 months of twice weekly strength sessions yields a bigger result than 6 weeks of 4, and the longer you sustain a habit, the more likely that habit is going to become a part of your ** lifestyle **
And once that happens?
Boom.
You've created a habit that is harder to lose and can be built on more easily.
Look at you go, you little gym rat.
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