January…No Offense.

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January. No offense to the month itself, but we aren’t fans. 

January brings New Year's Resolutions which, most of the time, are unrealistic expectations we place on ourselves. Goals that aren’t really goals because they aren’t attainable or actionable. Every year we get a handful of clients who set themselves up for failure before even walking into the gym, and every year we share the same advice. 

Here it is. 

Every goal you set for yourself needs to be realistic. For example, if you haven’t been inside a gym for six months but now set a goal for yourself that you will work out 2 hours a day,  five days a week in January, that may be a bit steep. Our suggestion is to aim for two or three days a week, start with 30 minutes if you need to, with the goal of working up to your desired level. 

Do Not Give Up on Yourself. It will be hard to make lifestyle changes no matter what they are. If you want to lose twenty pounds but only see the scale moving gradually, it is easy to convince yourself that a glass of wine after dinner is fine. Or if you are sore post-workout and take five rest days to get back to feeling normal, it will be harder to get back into the gym. In fact, the chances of you repeating that cycle for the first three weeks of January is fairly decent if you don’t have a plan. Remember, you are human. Your body is yours and is unique to the way it responds when making lifestyle changes. If you need an extra rest day, take it, but don’t quit completely. 

“The only way to guarantee you don’t reach your health and fitness goals is by giving up on them.” - Nick Bolton 

January 19th is also known as Quitters Day. This is the day that 80% of all resolutions get left behind. This is the day we go back to our old habits. By February 1st, the other 20% are ready to throw in the towel. 

Be Consistent. Doing a little something every day is better than wearing yourself out for one week and abandoning everything because you are exhausted and overwhelmed. Take it day by day, meal by meal. Making good decisions, even small ones, will give you forward momentum. Those smaller decisions will turn into larger ones with consistency. 

Finally. You are the only one who can decide what direction you take for your personal growth. Know that you are worth it. Stop giving up on yourself and

setting yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals. 

If January isn’t a good month for you to set new goals, that is okay. We think you should make the best decisions for yourself no matter what month it is. Being a healthier version of yourself doesn’t have to happen in January. It can happen today. Whatever day it is.