How About NO New Year’s Resolution this Year?

New Year’s is known as a time to celebrate things past and start fresh with a brand new year.  As summer fades away and the cooler months set in, it can be easy to get caught up in change.  School starts, schedules switch and before you know it…the holidays are upon us.  The danger of these next few months is losing sight of ourselves and our health and wellness goals.  Ryan Bate of South County Adventure Boot Camp and Infinity Wellness LLC has some advice on how to avoid falling into this pit and then finding a strong need for a “New Year’s Resolution.”  Make your resolution today, decide that you will not lose sight of yourself and your goals as the times and seasons change.  Make January 1st a time to create new goals, not a time to reset lost goals.  Here are 5 tips to keeping yourself accountable all year long:

1.  Create Concrete and Achievable Goals-  Creating goals is paramount to success in all areas.  However, it is important that these goals are defined and can be measured.  For example, “I will get stronger” is a vague statement.  A concrete goal would be, “I will hold a plank for 2 minutes by October 15th.”  This goal can be tracked and measured.  It is also necessary to make sure that your goals are achievable with hard work and diligence.  Setting unreasonable goals can lead to frustration which hinders your confidence and ability to succeed.
2. Be Kind to Yourself-  Your biggest ally is going to be you!  However, there are times when you can be your own worst enemy as well.  If you make a mistake, treat yourself kindly.  Remember to celebrate your successes and learn from your mistakes.  We can not change what has happened, but we can change how we feel about it and how we handle it. If you fall off course, take a look at the circumstances that caused you to falter and be ready for them in the future.  There are no mistakes, only lessons to be learned.
3. Measure your Goals-  Since you have set concrete and attainable goals, you should also plan to measure your goals.  This does not mean marry yourself to a scale, it means choose intervals and strategies to measure your successes.  Can you hold a plank 30 seconds longer this month? That is a success!  Make sure the way you measure your goals reflect the desired outcome.  Focus on both health and wellness when you create and measure your goals.  There are many factors that effect your health and wellness, be sure to consider and plan for all aspects.
4. Be Prepared-  We all know that the holidays can lend themselves overindulgence.  Now is the time to start thinking about how you will handle these situations.  Create recipes to bring along to festivities and think about ways to avoid the excess over the holiday season.  It is also important to recognize that time can become scant as the daylight dwindles and the schedule fills.  Be sure to plan for this as well.  When and how will you make time for yourself and your health and wellness goals.  A planner can be a great way to schedule yourself and to ensure that you have allotted time for yourself.  Prepare for these changes and you will find that you will not lose track of your most valuable asset, yourself.
5. Look at the Full Picture and Plan-  As we mentioned, health and wellness is a complete package.  It is not all about body weight or how many squats you can do.  It is your overall picture of health.  Are you eating right?  Do you get enough sleep?  Do you allow yourself time for the things you love?  Is your life in balance?  These are just some items to consider as you create your goals.  You want to look and feel your best, so be sure to look into your life and find out where you can improve.  Think about what makes you feel good and how to make changes in your life that will make for a healthier you.

“The part can never be well unless the whole is well.” -Plato

-Ryan Bate, South County Adventure Boot Camp and Infinity Wellness LLC