I just love the fresh energy that comes from the start of new seasons. I know people get pretty negative about “new year, new you” but I think it’s great to capitalize on the inevitable feelings of optimism that arise at this time of year.
Working with nutrition and personal training clients over the last seventeen years has taught me the value of establishing commitment, convenience, and consistency to take your good intentions and turn them into long-lasting habits.
COMMITMENT. Take some time this week to really evaluate your goals. Do you have a health challenge you need to overcome? Would you like to lose body fat or put on some lean muscle? Maybe you’ve put your own health on the backburner and need to rearrange your priorities?
Commitment means turning your excuses into obstacles, and obstacles can be troubleshot and overcome. Don’t let your job, your kids, or your never-ending to-do list be an excuse for you to eat poorly. Get out your calendar and schedule in workouts, time to menu plan and shop, and time to meal prep into your calendar. Keep those appointments with yourself like you would an appointment with your accountant or your kids’ teacher.
CONVENIENCE. Set yourself up for success from the beginning! Join a gym that’s close to your kids’ school and shop at the grocery store between your house and work. Schedule your workout for a time when you won’t be interrupted, such as first thing in the morning. Cut out the fancy coffees so you can spend more money on pre-cut veggies to save yourself time. Convenience is critical during the beginning of a transformation. All the small changes you make to maximize convenience will pay off big time in the long run!
One change I’ve made to my life is to plan nearly everything we do within the boundaries of my “Triangle of Convenience”. The triangle is formed by the imaginary lines I draw from our house, to my kids’ schools, and to my work. I do my best to schedule everything we do within those lines. From grocery shopping, to the dermatologist, to jewelry repair, it’s all within those boundaries. It’s sounds so simple, but this has really helped me!
CONSISTENCY. Your efforts don’t have to be grand. It’s easy to think that if you don’t have 60 minutes to workout, you might as well skip the workout completely. Or if you started the day with a donut, you might as well finish it with pizza. All of the small, consistent efforts you make REALLY do pay off.
If you don’t have time for the full workout, can you squeeze in five minutes of burpees, squats, and pushups? I did this last week when something important came up during my scheduled workout time. Rather than write-off the whole day I found three five-minute spots in my day and did a quick round of bodyweight exercises. You may not think that skipping one workout will make a difference, but keeping that commitment to yourself DOES make an impact.
The same goes for diet. You don’t have to do an intense detox or count every calorie that goes into your mouth. Small, consistent effort is key. Have a veggie with every meal, even if it’s just a handful of baby carrots. Get a serving of protein with every meal, even if it’s just rolled up deli meat. Being consistent the majority of the time with your healthy choices does wonders for your physical body and your mindset.
I’m cheering you on this year to make it your best yet!
