Fitness,  Inspiration

Resolve to be true to yourself!

Did you make New Year’s resolutions for this year?  Do any of them have to do with starting a new exercise program or eating healthier?  If you have made resolutions pertaining to your body, I want you to also ask yourself if this is a choice you arrived to for yourself or as a result of what a friend, family member of someone on social has prompted you to do?  The reason why this is vitally important to examine is because I’m a FIRM believer that if your goals don’t resonate with you, your ability to stick to them becomes much more challenging.

The reason that many people give up on their goals is because the goals they set have nothing to do with them at all! If you are trying to follow someone else’s program and you don’t like what it requires or it’s not sustainable for YOUR particular lifestyle then the likelihood of you abandoning it is very strong.  For instance, if you can’t stand running but you decided to make a resolution to run 1 mile every day for the next month because your best friend who DOES enjoy running says you should do it with her, how likely is it that you will hang up those running shoes way before the month is out?

Now, this is NOT to say that you shouldn’t challenge yourself or try things out of your comfort zone in order to grow, but it’s also important to audit the types of challenges you take on and where the motivation is coming from.  I used running as an example because I cannot stand long distance running!  Ever since I was a child, it has been my nemesis and incredibly hard for me, so I always avoided it at all costs.  So, back in the early 2000’s when I was dating an avid long distance runner, I decided to try to overcome this challenge and signed up for a 5k which was a BIG DEAL for me. My ex LOVED running and it came naturally to him and I decided that I could train and perhaps come to love running as much as he did.  Welp, I hated every minute of training and couldn’t wait for it all to be over!  I followed through with the training and completed the 5K, but vowed that would be the last time I would do it and it was!

Now, it’s important to note that when I made the choice to try to overcome this, it wasn’t because my ex said I should do it OR because I felt that I had to or that I had something to prove.  I decided to do it on my own because I really wanted to explore why it was hard for me and figured that if I applied patience and the proper training that I could become better at it and it would turn into something I could enjoy. Through this exploration I discovered it’s really just not my thing and that’s okay!  What I’m trying to illustrate here is that there is definitely a fine line between jumping in and making resolutions based on someone else’s goals and deciding to take on a challenge for your own reasons (which could be identical to someone else’s).  So, as you’re thinking about what you want to accomplish and resolve to do, make sure you start with YOU in mind and move forward from that point and see where it leads you!