We’ve been told our whole lives that the New Year means a “new me!” And for many, a New Year’s resolution is synonymous with fitness and health. But the reality is that 88% of resolution setting Americans abandon their resolutions very quickly.
I’ve started to believe that we don’t stick to our health related resolutions because we choose egotistical and isolating goals for ourselves.
“I want to lose weight.” “I want to drop two dress sizes.” “I want to fit into my old wedding suit”. All of these resolutions are about “I”, and they value no part of the journey of fitness… only the meaningless number in the tag of our pants.
What I wish more than anything is that we could feel how we do when the ball drops in Times Square all year long– that moment when we feel unstoppable – capable of anything – limitless.
I’d like to propose a new type of fitness resolution for 2016. It has nothing to do with the treadmill, or losing weight. In fact it has nothing to do with the gym at all. You might be thinking – what is this guy talking about? How am I supposed to get fit without going to the gym. I promise I’ll explain, stick with me.
The journey is your reward
In my opinion, our resolutions should be all about the fitness journey, not the result. It has to be bigger than any diet or workout regimen—it has to be a total shift in attitude that says, “I’m not afraid of a little extra pain, I won’t back down from a challenge, I work hard because I believe in myself.”
Rather than being about a pants size, it has to be about being better. Period. It’s about being better today – a better mother, a better father, sister, friend, and colleague…a better version of yourself that allows you to connect with what makes you truly human.
As humans, we were built to move, but we were also built to socialize and interact, and our happiness and well-being is directly correlated to positive social connections.
In my personal journey, I’ve chosen CrossFit as my path to improve myself physically, mentally and socially. I remember the first time I was away for a long business trip and wasn’t able to make my usual CrossFit class. My phone rang and it was the Head Coach of the Box. He wanted to check in on me, he was worried that something was wrong. I thought to myself, “Well, that definitely wouldn’t happen at Planet Fitness. The only call I’d get there would be to make sure my credit card was authorized for payment!”
This is the moment when I truly realized the importance of having support in your fitness journey. It’s about the people and the community surrounding you and encouraging you to always strive to better yourself.
Instead of making your resolution to “go to the gym,” make it to be a better version of yourself today.
Find friends who love to challenge you – who will pick you up when you fall, laugh with you when you mess up, listen to you when you need to complain, and celebrate with you on all the small victories along the way. The gym is everywhere – in your backyard, out in a parking lot, on top of a mountain – even in a stairwell. The secret sauce to succeeding in your fitness journey is finding your inner strength alongside others.
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