Nothing comes easier than a promise, yet one of the hardest things to do is deliver on one! Now that the midnight toll of New Year’s Eve is fast approaching, we’re likely to find ourselves engaged in the self-promise of taking more control in 2013. While making that promise is usually the easy part, we’re going to make it just as easy to stick with your plan, and see your promise all the way through.
Be Accountable. Nothing gets you to do something more than being held accountable for it. So – create some accountability…tell your friends! If you brag to them all about how you’re going to lead a fitter lifestyle starting January, then the prospect of facing them without having done it should force your hand. The more people you tell, the more you’ll face your accountability.
Have a Plan. There’s an old saying: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Pick specific days and times to exercise, and put them in your calendar. You can also select particular exercises you want to do, or body parts you want to focus on. By having such a plan, exercising is far less intimidation, and feels much more manageable.
Get Motivated. If you think about why you make a resolution, then you have all the motivation you need. If you don’t like not being able to fit into a pair of jeans anymore, then remind yourself of that every time you’re due to work out. If you’re the “odd one out” among your friends who doesn’t participate in active interests such as road races, then think about the fun you could be having with them if you go and exercise. Something made you want to change; use that motivator as your extra push, and remind yourself of it every time you want to blow off a workout.
Find an Incentive. Everyone loves a reward. A prize. A pat on the back. Well, give yourself one! Make a deal with yourself – if you go through with every planned workout in a week, you get to go to your favorite restaurant for dinner. Or you get to spend $100 on whatever you want. Or maybe you get to eat your favorite food that you’ve denied yourself all week. Perhaps, if you’re doing really well, you can reward yourself for a full month of exercising, and give yourself a Grand Prize like concert tickets. (Maybe you can even get your BFF involved, and see if they’ll ‘sponsor’ you and buy that treat for you!).
This year, Ultimate Bootcamp is giving out our own incentive to anyone who commits to sticking with their New Year's resolution for the first eight weeks of the year: $100 in cold, hard cash. It's our New Year's Resolution Reward, and you have until Thursday, January 3rd to sign up and join us!
Follow these steps, and you’ll be far more likely to succeed. Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying a whole new you. And maybe next New Year’s Eve, you can pick a fun, rewarding resolution of going on more trips, instead of having to promise yourself that you’ll exercise. Here’s to you in 2013!
