Please don’t set New Year’s resolutions! At least not today, because it can unintentionally become permission to mistreat your body during the holidays.
Think about how easy it is to shrug off bad decisions… with “what does it matter if I overeat, under-sleep or over-commit myself? It’s ‘that’ time of year.”
A promise of starting in January hangs on the idea that life becomes perfect – or at least normal – as we flip the calendar page from December to January. But it’s no different than “I’ll start Monday.” Both give false hope and promote an off-and-on lifestyle that doesn’t lead to sustained health and fitness.
The real reason someone doesn’t consistently engage in healthy habits is that she gives other things greater priority. And that’s okay as long as it’s intentional. But when a busy schedule and over-stressed emotions are allowed to take over, and life develops an emergency feel, there is no room for wellness.
When “New Year’s resolutions” and “starting Monday” kinds of thinking are a pattern, it’s hard to step back and determine what’s needed in order to ultimately be successful. That’s because it promotes a belief that circumstances need to be better or we need to feel more motivated. The inevitable failures that come are energy draining, and undermine the self-confidence necessary to know that our health and weight loss goals can be achieved. That a healthy lifestyle is always possible.
My favorite definition of commitment is the ability to follow through with a worthwhile decision once the emotion of making the decision has passed. Once a commitment is made it’s time to live it—now—not put it off to an idyllic future time.
No matter what this month holds for you, your work and your family, be intentional with your wellbeing. Take small daily steps that keep you on track with your healthy habits so that come January you feel confident in setting any goal you want.