We all laugh as we drive by the health club on New Year's Day, filled with people who have a two-week burst of motivation.
Or, we ARE one of those people.
Like Jim Gaffigan's bit on everyonehating McDonald's and no one copping to the fact that they eat there: Someone is going to the gym. Someone is setting up New Year's Resolutions. But of course we're laughing at "them."
Why are we waiting for New Year's?
But the calendar is an artificial construct, and let's face it: if you need a calendar to motivate you, your motivation is thin. Why would you set up your life around what the calendar says? Why not set your goals for your life around your life and what you want to do with it?
Be the one who starts early.
Why not start now? Now, in that sweet spot of the holidays when we're still overeating like heck, probably have a bit of vacation we're using, so we have a bit of extra time - why not use that time wisely?
Or, we ARE one of those people.
Like Jim Gaffigan's bit on everyonehating McDonald's and no one copping to the fact that they eat there: Someone is going to the gym. Someone is setting up New Year's Resolutions. But of course we're laughing at "them."
Why are we waiting for New Year's?
But the calendar is an artificial construct, and let's face it: if you need a calendar to motivate you, your motivation is thin. Why would you set up your life around what the calendar says? Why not set your goals for your life around your life and what you want to do with it?
Be the one who starts early.
Why not start now? Now, in that sweet spot of the holidays when we're still overeating like heck, probably have a bit of vacation we're using, so we have a bit of extra time - why not use that time wisely?
Be the one who sticks with it.
The real benchmark for those who set goals for the New Year is whether or not they can stick with it. But most people don't, and the gym empties again and the cycle starts anew. We denigrate ourselves and set goals based on how much we suck at something. "I want to be less fat" or "My goal is to lose weight." That's motivating, isn't it? Oh man, I am guilty as charged on that one. But somehow I'm still reaching for goals. Somehow.
*takes a few minutes of self-examination*
Be good to yourself
"We're really bad at setting reasonable goals," Observes Amy Cuddy, A Social Psychologist at Harvard. I know I'm guilty of that too. Setting an audacious goal, thinking the audacity of it will motivate you - and it does, it motivates you to start. But somewhere in the middle you'll run into adversity and your big audacious goal gets farther away very quickly. Your goals have to be S.M.A.R.T., and you have to set yourself up for success. Cuddy recommends nudging yourself along with more reasonable goals more often.
Good luck... and Happy New Year!
Tony
Re-Run: My 30-Day Experiment to Fall Back in Love with Running
The real benchmark for those who set goals for the New Year is whether or not they can stick with it. But most people don't, and the gym empties again and the cycle starts anew. We denigrate ourselves and set goals based on how much we suck at something. "I want to be less fat" or "My goal is to lose weight." That's motivating, isn't it? Oh man, I am guilty as charged on that one. But somehow I'm still reaching for goals. Somehow.
*takes a few minutes of self-examination*
Be good to yourself
"We're really bad at setting reasonable goals," Observes Amy Cuddy, A Social Psychologist at Harvard. I know I'm guilty of that too. Setting an audacious goal, thinking the audacity of it will motivate you - and it does, it motivates you to start. But somewhere in the middle you'll run into adversity and your big audacious goal gets farther away very quickly. Your goals have to be S.M.A.R.T., and you have to set yourself up for success. Cuddy recommends nudging yourself along with more reasonable goals more often.
Good luck... and Happy New Year!
Tony
Re-Run: My 30-Day Experiment to Fall Back in Love with Running
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