I have learned that it takes a certain amount of time to create a habit. Lots of research points to about a month or 21 days. I remember when I first started getting into fitness at all, about 2 weeks into running, and I was hooked. Although it did become much easier to run after those 2 weeks, I do feel like timing is critical, in addition to length of time.
So if 21 days or two weeks was really the recipe, we could all accomplish any goal, right? But maybe that’s not all there is to it either. We’re a little over a week into our New Years goals (Although most of us probably had a recoup day, or 2, after NYE ;)). How are you holding up, Is It so strenuous you couldn’t keep this up for another 2 weeks? Keep in mind, statistically most people fall off around the 3-5 week timeline of a fitness goal.
Maybe It’s so strenuous that It’s incredibly bland, unappealing, and quite frankly.. It’s not even a priority to go as hard as you are, and It’s cutting into your own time.
That’s how most of us structure our new years goals. We get WAY to lofty with them, and don’t plan conservatively. Plan conservatively, understand there will be days you won’t want to get out of bed. Understand you’re temptations and instead of blocking them out for your “fitness goal timeline”, find ways to in include them or balance them out within the means of your goals. Know that you’re going to have days where not one minute of your time is for you. Planning around these things relabels them from life burdens, to life. And you can plan around life and still hit your goals.
Start small, ask yourself. “What’s SOOoOoooO easy, I guarantee I could do it for the entire year, and then forever?” Maybe you can’t guarantee that you’re active AT the gym 5 days per week. Maybe you’re active 5 days per week by; 2 days at the gym, 2 days deep cleaned the house for 2 hours, 1 day I played with the dogs/kids for an hour or went for a walk after dinner for an hour. Start with something you don’t “think” you can do, but you know for sure you are willing to do it, even on your worst day or week.
You want to make it a habit? Keep it in mind as much as possible, and start small enough that you KNOW you can accomplish that goal.
B3FIT 