Tuesday, December 27, 2016

A different approach for a successful 2017

With a New Year approaching, we begin a new journey with expectations to accomplish big things in the upcoming year.  What will you do differently in 2017 than you did in 2016 to make for improvement?  Because if nothing changes, well then nothing will change.  And if you want 2017 to be your best year yet, evolving as a person is key to continued improvement.  Let's think outside the box...here are some unique strategies to help you gain personal growth and health in 2017:



  1. Forget the New Year’s resolution. Think goals. If you want something bad enough you will create a game plan to achieve that specific objective. Many people give up on the resolution thing so what’s the point. Write out the things you want in the upcoming year. Ask yourself, “How bad do I want these things?” and “How much work am I willing to put in?” If the desire is strong enough, then move on and create action steps. Once the action steps are formulated, start and be consistent!
  2. Run hard and run motivated. Without work ethic, goals do not get accomplished. Without motivation, you will lose focus and derail from the plan, so my recommendation is to “run fast and do not look back”.  If we become stagnate, we quickly go the wrong direction. Be afraid of mediocrity!  Look for things that internally drive and motivate you, find positive people to be around, and move. Don’t except, “Just another year”. Honestly, that is laziness. You should be a little overwhelmed and spread thin, that means you are pushing yourself to become better. Continued forward progress is the recipe for success in 2017. 
  3. Short term first. I am always advising long-term health as the answer to health and fitness.  In order to create this long-term habit, we must break down our goals into short-term steps first. We can get a bit overwhelmed staring at a challenging goal that seems unreasonable. Instead of looking at the big goal, break it down into smaller, more realistic steps. For example, say you want to lose some weight in 2017. Great! Let’s do it! What are the action steps of this goal?  Break it down to the daily habits that are needed to move you towards achievement.  Drink 72 ounces of water each day, eat a sensible diet, exercise 5 days a week, etc.  Winning each day sets you up to win the week and then win each month.  Big goals are achieved by breaking down larger goals into more manageable steps.  The goal is now more realistic and attainable.  ACTION IS REQUIRED!  
  4. Be a silent assassin. I usually advise telling a close friend or family member your goal to create some accountability for yourself. But forget that! You do not have to tell anyone you are starting an exercise program or looking to run you first half marathon, just start! Action is needed to accomplish your goal so be the person that decides to make it happen. No boasting or bragging is needed. Just plain ol’ hard work and the results will happen. 



I leave you with a powerful quote by Viktor Frankl who was a Holocaust survivor,

"The last of the human freedoms is to choose one's attitudes.” Viktor Frankl

We have ability to control our attitude. Decide to make yours great in 2017!





Peace and Love,
Justin

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