New Years Resolutions that Last - How to make them and keep them
Ah, the holiday season. This is the time where we all come together and show our appreciation for our friends and family, give gifts and thanks and of course eat lots of food. Thanksgiving, traditionally, is the day where we stuff ourselves into oblivion and then roll our bulging bodies back home and into bed. This is the day when aunts and uncles try to get you to finish the rest of the butter and gravy smothered mashed potatoes so they can go wash the bowl. There’s nothing quite like the holiday season.
I got to thinking about this time of year and what it signifies. Of course it is a day to look back and be thankful for all of the good times we’ve had in the past year. But for many, including myself, it’s a time to look forward to a brand new year, a fresh start, and a new beginning. This inevitably brings the age-old question to everyone’s mind: what’s your New Year’s resolution? The idea of a clean slate is appealing to most people – a time to forget all the times before and start a new year off right. This year I’m going to eat right; this year I’m going to be a better friend; this year I’m going to run fifty miles a week. This year it’s all going to be different. It’s amazing how this idea of a new beginning can motivate people to do their boldest goals and accomplish things they’ve always dreamed of doing.
Back at home I was a member of a gym and every week I would go to a yoga class instructed by a friend’s mom. I had been going to this class for about five months and it was my favorite time of the week. After the New Year, my quiet class that was usually no more than about six people, all of a sudden had about twenty-five people squished into this small space; I had to fight for a spot on the floor. I was trying to figure out what was going on and it suddenly occurred to me: New Year’s resolutions. Most of these people had just signed up for a gym membership. The funny thing was that after about a month, this yoga class went down from twenty-five to about fifteen to ten and then five. People had lost their motivation to go to the gym. Too much work, not enough time, too tired to go, loss of motivation. What happened to “this year it’s going to be different?” What happened to the eagerness and excitement of the possibility of fulfilling one’s goals and dreams?
We lose sight of our reasons for accomplishing our goals. They are different yet equally important for everyone and sometimes we need to be reminded of these reasons. Of course you want to lose weight, but why? Sure you want to complete a triathlon, but why? When I write down all of the reasons for why I want to finish what I’ve started, I see that there is no reason in the world that says I shouldn’t keep going. When I see results, it just adds another log to the fire and makes me want to see it through. Whatever works for you to keep you going and to remind you of why you’re doing what you’re doing, then do it; even something as simple as posting a picture of your kids on your fridge can show you that you’re not just doing this for yourself, but also for others in your life. I knew someone that kept a picture of himself when he was sixty pounds heavier in his wallet to remind himself of how far he had come and the reasons he didn’t want to go back. I also know someone that wrote down a list of fifty things she wanted to accomplish in her life and now keeps it posted on her wall to remind her that she’s got to get a move on if she wants to get these things done. If you remember why you want to do accomplish your goal, you can succeed.
Thank you to all those you sent me wonderful emails. I love them all and I truly appreciate those who took the time to give me the support.
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New Years Resolutions that Last
New Years Resolutions that Last - How to make them and keep them
Ah, the holiday season. This is the time where we all come together and show our appreciation for our friends and family, give gifts and thanks and of course eat lots of food. Thanksgiving, traditionally, is the day where we stuff ourselves into oblivion and then roll our bulging bodies back home and into bed. This is the day when aunts and uncles try to get you to finish the rest of the butter and gravy smothered mashed potatoes so they can go wash the bowl. There’s nothing quite like the holiday season.
I got to thinking about this time of year and what it signifies. Of course it is a day to look back and be thankful for all of the good times we’ve had in the past year. But for many, including myself, it’s a time to look forward to a brand new year, a fresh start, and a new beginning. This inevitably brings the age-old question to everyone’s mind: what’s your New Year’s resolution? The idea of a clean slate is appealing to most people – a time to forget all the times before and start a new year off right. This year I’m going to eat right; this year I’m going to be a better friend; this year I’m going to run fifty miles a week. This year it’s all going to be different. It’s amazing how this idea of a new beginning can motivate people to do their boldest goals and accomplish things they’ve always dreamed of doing.
Back at home I was a member of a gym and every week I would go to a yoga class instructed by a friend’s mom. I had been going to this class for about five months and it was my favorite time of the week. After the New Year, my quiet class that was usually no more than about six people, all of a sudden had about twenty-five people squished into this small space; I had to fight for a spot on the floor. I was trying to figure out what was going on and it suddenly occurred to me: New Year’s resolutions. Most of these people had just signed up for a gym membership. The funny thing was that after about a month, this yoga class went down from twenty-five to about fifteen to ten and then five. People had lost their motivation to go to the gym. Too much work, not enough time, too tired to go, loss of motivation. What happened to “this year it’s going to be different?” What happened to the eagerness and excitement of the possibility of fulfilling one’s goals and dreams?
We lose sight of our reasons for accomplishing our goals. They are different yet equally important for everyone and sometimes we need to be reminded of these reasons. Of course you want to lose weight, but why? Sure you want to complete a triathlon, but why? When I write down all of the reasons for why I want to finish what I’ve started, I see that there is no reason in the world that says I shouldn’t keep going. When I see results, it just adds another log to the fire and makes me want to see it through. Whatever works for you to keep you going and to remind you of why you’re doing what you’re doing, then do it; even something as simple as posting a picture of your kids on your fridge can show you that you’re not just doing this for yourself, but also for others in your life. I knew someone that kept a picture of himself when he was sixty pounds heavier in his wallet to remind himself of how far he had come and the reasons he didn’t want to go back. I also know someone that wrote down a list of fifty things she wanted to accomplish in her life and now keeps it posted on her wall to remind her that she’s got to get a move on if she wants to get these things done. If you remember why you want to do accomplish your goal, you can succeed.
Thank you to all those you sent me wonderful emails. I love them all and I truly appreciate those who took the time to give me the support.
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