In the last column I wrote I looked back on 2018. This time around I want to look forward.
I used to be the kind of person that made grand New Year’s resolutions, ‘I will lose 60 pounds this year’ or ‘I will cycle 500 km or I will never eat chips again.’
Then I went through a phase of not making any resolutions because I thought it was silly and didn’t ever follow through on them anyway.
This time around I’ve decided to try more big picture resolutions. I read an article that said if you simply say ‘I want to be more active’ instead of limiting yourself to one activity, you are less likely to fail because there are more options. When going to that 6 a.m. spin class five times a week doesn’t work for you, you can move on to something else without technically failing.
I found this interesting because it made me realize why New Years resolutions are so difficult, because we don’t leave room for failure.
I’ve written about this before and I will probably write about it again.
The key to success is acknowledging that you are going to fail and making a plan to pick yourself back up again when that happens.
Sounds easy right?
I am more likely to wallow and berate myself for being a failure than I am to jump right back on the horse. And given how many people buy gym memberships in January and drop out in February, I am probably not alone.
So I have decided to take the advice that I give to my friends.
Celebrate the little things. You don’t have to ski to the top of the cross country trails at MacPherson the first time you go nordic skiing. Falling down four times on the trails at the golf course and turning around less than half way through is a more than adequate start. You went. You got back up. Good for you!
I’ve heard many times that the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again despite getting the same results. That is how I feel about getting up at 5:30 a.m. to go to the gym. I’ve tried and tried and tried. I’ve been successful and felt extremely proud of myself, but I have mostly failed.
Is it because of lack of willpower? Maybe. But there are so many exercise and activity options, why not try something else and see if I have a better success rate? Because, in the end, aren’t new activities supposed to have an element of fun?
So try a lunch time work out, or an after work activity, or an after the kids are in bed excursion to the gym. Try a class. Try joining a team. If you don’t succeed maybe it isn’t willpower or failure, maybe that activity or that time of day just isn’t working for you.
At the end of the day I honestly believe it is how we think about ourselves and the activities that we do that sets us up for success. Now, this isn’t my idea, this comes with help from my past life coach and my counsellor.
But, you should try it. Get up in the morning, and no matter how you are feeling think to yourself, or say out loud, ‘today is going to be a good day.’
When it comes time for that lunch time work out, say to yourself ‘I am going to have a good workout!’ instead of ‘Ugh this is going to be painful.’
Cooking up some brussel sprouts because the new you eats more vegetables? Tell yourself that they are going to be delicious!
Now, I don’t believe that merely saying these things or thinking this way will change everything. I believe that how we think influences our actions. So if you know that the brussel sprouts are going to be delicious, maybe you will cook them in bacon fat and add walnuts.
If you say your workout is going to be good, maybe you will stick with your favourite exercises or talk cheerily with the person next to you who will turn out to be your new best friend.
Maybe when you know your day is going to be a good one you will start the day off listening to music and dancing while you brush your teeth, and low and behold, your day will be good.
The power of positive thinking, how cliché, but seriously, give it a try. Who’s it going to hurt?