New Year's Resolutions are So 20th Century!

As we embark on a new year, there are many who will be performing the annual ritual of making New Year's Resolutions. We all know that they're mainly a big joke. Studies show that 82% of people who make resolutions only stick to them for a week. After that, it's pretty much a free for all. We all spent most of our lives living in the 20th century, where New Year's Resolutions were really big. The late 20th century was the age of life coaches and gurus who tried to tell you how to live your life. Well, we've been in the 21st century for a while now and it's time to set aside the concept of New Year's Resolutions. You know how you want to live your life, so you don't need a life coach or a guru to tell you how.

At Weight Watchers last night we discussed goals. For a lot of people in Weight Watchers their goal is some nebulous number that they want to reach. Many think that once they reach that goal/number, their life will magically be better than it was prior to that. They don't think about the fact that once you reach your goal, you need to continue putting in work to make sure you stay there. There is no real end of the road here on Earth until we stop living. Along the way it's necessary to set goals, come up with a plan to reach them, and then try to maintain them.

I challenge each and every one of you to set a realistic goal for the coming year. Make sure that it's something within your power to do. As you think about that goal, think about how it will benefit you. Will you be healthier? Will you have more confidence? Will you be happier? Will you be able to spend more time with those you love? When you've come up with your goal, write down the steps you'll need to take to get there. Also, think in the short-term. Break your goal down into little milestones that you'd like to reach within a certain timeframe. If you do this, you won't be overwhelmed. All of those little milestones will give you little victories to celebrate, and they will also let you know you're on the right track. For any of you that have read my previous blog entries, you know that I was never a runner, but I broke running down into small little milestones, and managed to be able to run over 3 miles. Conditioning your body for running is not easy if you've never been much of a runner, but I did it. Did I think a year ago that I could say that I ran all the way around the lake in my town? Hell no! If someone had told me that I'd not only be able to, but that I'd really want to, I would've told them that they were out of their mind! You never know what you're capable of until you try. Make this new year a great one by setting a goal for yourself. I wish you all peace, love, happiness, and prosperity.