New Year, Same You

This time of year I’m really glad I work out in my garage. If I went to a gym I’d have to fight the crowds of people who made a New Year’s Resolution to get in shape this year!

In a couple of months it will be a different story because for most of those people, those resolutions to be healthier in 2023, to lose x amount of pounds, or to become a fitness champion will wear off.

There is nothing wrong with resolutions or goals. In fact, you need goals. For over four years I set fitness goals for myself. A beach vacation in six months that I was determined to be ready for. A birthday that was coming up that I was going to be in the best shape when I hit that age. A dress I couldn’t fit in that I wanted to wear for an upcoming occasion. My daughter’s wedding and how I wanted to look in those pictures. And guess what, I set those goals but did not accomplish any of them.

I went on that beach vacation looking the same as I did before but it was ok. My birthday came and went and I didn’t change a bit. That dress hung in my closet unworn, still not fitting. My daughter’s wedding was amazing, and since I bought a bigger dress and wore some Spanx, the pictures were great, but not what I envisioned for myself.

Setting those goals was a good thing, but I was still me. I didn’t change anything in my mindset or mentality. So I made excuses for why I didn’t accomplish the things I planned, and told myself it was ok.

Have you ever heard the saying, “Wherever you go, there you are”? So often we might think we just need a change. A change of location, a change in careers, a change in relationships. But no matter what changes we make, unless we first change ourselves we will find ourselves back in the same patterns of life.

When I started this health journey six months ago, I didn’t make any resolutions or set any real long term goals. I just started showing up. I made a decision that I was done with excuses, and allowing myself to be lazy. I made a decision not to start a program, but to change my lifestyle. When I didn’t want to wake up at 6am I did anyways. When I didn’t want to workout, I did anyways. When I wanted to quit, I didn’t give myself that option. I changed my mentality and changed my lifestyle. And I am seeing the results of those decisions. Now I set goals that are challenging but obtainable, and when I meet those goals I set new ones.

Every new year I would have every intention of making lasting changes in myself, but it wasn’t until I made a decision and put action behind that intention, that I actually ended the new year better than I started it.

This is a new year, filled with endless possibilities and opportunities! Make all the resolutions, set all the goals, but unless you make the decision to change something in your lifestyle, you’ll end this new year as the same you.