What could I possibly say to myself this New Year’s Eve, that I haven’t said before… what inspirational self-talk could be left to make sure this year is the year where all my fitness and health goals come true… I cringe a bit even having this cliche discussion with myself (and now you as well)… but it seems a bit of a necessary step. So I’m going to change the approach a little this year…
First, my overall goal will be to run 3 races this year – not sure about the length of each race… I just want to have them as interim goals to work towards – because that provides me huge motivation to take care of myself and a big sense of accomplishment when they are done. To support this main goal… I’m going to set up 12 connected goals, one for each month… so one by one… bit by bit… progress will be made.
So why any difference this year? I think this year will be different because I am finally admitting that I will always need to work on myself… I am not naturally skinny, athletic or able to pass up dessert easily. I will always, always, need to work and work and work at this stuff – and I think acknowledging that will be a big part of not getting discouraged, jaded or bitter about New Year’s resolutions…. and really, who among us finds staying healthy easy… I just don’t think it is easy to find the time to exercise, the time to shop and cook healthy food and take care of ourselves, when there is so much else that needs to be done… who finds that super easy? It takes work. Just that simple. This is a lesson I think my kids need to learn early – it’s not easy, and as life changes, they need to change and adapt – but it all takes determination and effort.
But I am determined to be thankful for a fresh start this New Year, in this ongoing journey.
So here are the topics I’m going to explore in the first part of the year:
January – Learning and practising mindful eating
February – Developing a healthy addiction to fruits and vegetables
March – Incorporating more yoga, stretching and strength training into my life
April – Exploring foods as fuel for training
We’ll see how that goes, and take it from there…
Happy New Year everyone.
just try it, kids! 