It’s that time of the year again. New Years always inspire big promises. “This year I will lose weight”; ” This year I’ll be fit”. Unfortunately, only a few people will act on their goals and succeed. Where do you want to be in 2017? Among the ones who abandon their goals because life got too busy or among the ones who stick to their dreams and make them happen? Be aware that the choice is yours. You are the only one who can decide to change.
The good news is that you don’t need to have a perfect plan. All you need is a first step. Think of a small habit you could easily adopt in your life. The easier the better. You will be more likely to stick to it if you can see yourself doing it. It may be something like drinking 2 liters of water per day or going for a walk two times per week after dinner. Resist the urge of trying to do too much. If so, you will soon feel overwhelmed and give up.
In the end, it all comes to repeating that behaviour over and over until it becomes automatic. The secret of building a habit is taking the choice of the equation. You shouldn’t ask yourself if you are in the mood for it. You just do it. Like brushing your teeth. You don’t wake up and say “Do I feel like brushing my teeth this morning?”, you just do it.
Once you’ve mastered that small step, take the next one. And then, a next one. You get the idea.
Now, if you feel you need help devising an initial plan ask for professional help. Find a trainer or coach who can design your initial plan. make sure that you feel comfortable with it before agreeing with it. Otherwise, 2017 will be just like any other year before – full of promises but poor on achievements.