How’s that New Year’s resolution going? For a lot of people, it is already a struggle; the will power slowly ebbing away. By the end of January, about a third of people will have their resolve broken. By July, well over half will have caved in… Having said that, you are 10 times more likely to achieve your target than people who do not make a resolution!
So what makes for a success when it comes to a New Year’s resolution? Let’s take getting fit as an example.
Firstly, getting a clearly defined goal is a great start. So, for instance, it could be to do 45 minutes running or on a cross-trainer. But what’s the motivation for that? Is it to play a sport for the whole match without stopping? Or to look great? Or to have more energy? Setting a clearly defined goal and understanding the motivation for that is important. It is also helpful to see yourself achieving that goal and experiencing the level of happiness that would bring and referring to that feeling at regular intervals. Regular rewards for hitting milestones along the way work too! The point is that the pleasure of achieving your goal and hitting milestones must outweigh the hardship.
Next is reporting back to someone who acts as your referee. That could be a spouse, partner, friend, or even better – a health care practitioner, e.g. your chiropractor.
Having an awareness of the likelihood of slipping up is important. You should expect it. It is normal to have the occasional lapse in resolve. It’s how you deal with it when it happens that determines whether you are successful in terms of your long-term goal. Some people will view the slip up as a failure of the entire project. Others will learn from it and start again with a firmer resolve.
It is helpful to adapt to your environment to make the task easier. For instance, if you have limited time and/or don’t like gyms, then think of an alternative method of exercise. This could be a power walk, run or outdoor circuit. If you find it hard to motivate yourself while at the gym; try a class where the instructor and other attendees will support you. Routine is exceptionally important, e.g. going to exercise on the same nights every week and working the rest of your schedule around that.
Lastly, be careful and work from a structured program designed by a health care practitioner if you have not exercised for a long time or you’re trying a certain exercise/sport for the first time. Starting a new exercise or sport has the potential to cause injury. It that occurs, don’t try to power through, tough out the pain – see a health care practitioner to have the injury rectified as soon as possible. Chiropractors are well qualified to help you in this regard.
Best of luck with your New Year’s resolutions and if we can be of any help, including more information, treatment, designing an exercise program and/or coaching, please contact us on 0113 228 9888.
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