But seriously, 2018 is upon us and with the new year comes the obligatory resolutions. This year, I am refraining from stating any real resolutions and instead just hitting the reset button.
Millions of people have signed up for gym memberships they'll likely use for the first three months but rest assured, they'll look fabulous in those three months with all the new Under Armour and Lululemon gear they applied their Christmas gift cards to. Despite my snark, I really am a cheerleader. I wish everyone the best of health - in love, in life. All I'm saying is that it takes work and that means serious discipline. Discipline comes into play when all of your friends on your group chat are inviting you out for karaoke where you're bound to consume multiple pitchers of cheap beer and partake in nachos and mozzarella sticks you're not sure who ordered. You have a decision to make. Hanging out with your friends will surely bring you happiness, but it will not bring you any closer to the health goals you have stated for yourself. And while you'll likely rock the mic to Humpty Dance or Baby's Got Back to the crowd's delight, the morning after, you'll be staring at your puffy belly and hating life. And at that point, the last thing you'll want to do is hit the treadmill. Instead, you'll think, "Whatever, I've already hit this low, why stop?" and next thing you know, you've ordered Domino's and cracked open another IPA.
Sound like you? It's definitely me around the holiday time. I dropped approximately 17 pounds for a competition in September and kept that competition weight all through Halloween. It wasn't until after Thanksgiving that I saw the scale creeping up. By Christmas, I had re-gained about 15 pounds. But unlike other go-arounds, I wasn't going to fret. I wasn't going to hate myself. On the flip side, i wasn't going to lie to myself and say that I would lose all of that in the new year. Instead, I was just going to reset.
So what's the difference? Well, for me - a resolution is usually a promise you make to yourself. And it usually addresses some perceived flaw or weakness -- an "area of improvement." Some folks might need that. I have. But this year is different. A reset is acknowledging that the me that lost the weight is the same me that gained it back. A reset doesn't abandon a path for a new one. A reset doesn't accept defeat when you hit a wall. Instead, it doubles down, refocuses and continues to pursue the life goals with renewed vigor -- much like me when I play Battlefront II with my son: when I'm cut down, I respawn and get back at it -- not throw the remote at the TV and abandon all FPS games from here on out. They say success breeds success -- that having once achieved success, you're likely to do it again. I tend to agree with this. At least this year. Because I have done it before so I'm looking to rinse and repeat and hopefully, refine. When I lost my weight initially, I wasn't really heavier or unhealthier than I am now. That's just what I typically walk around at. But I learned that my body responds well to regular, rigorous exercise. Three times a week on the mats is what I aim for and each time, if I can roll like I mean it, I'm pushing my body and mind further than where it was when I arrived. I learned that my body also agrees with intermittent fasting. I felt more energetic, stronger and, yes, slimmer. Additionally, getting rid of junk like white flour and rice, desserts and, sadly, alcohol (so maybe I don't get rid of beer so much as drastically reducing my intake to two a week).
Now I totally understand that everyone is different. Some of us are starting from zero and need a solid declaration of their goal(s). I get that. But if so, then it doesn't matter a bit if there's no accountability. Who else knows about your goal? Who is holding you to that goal? What is the consequence if you don't achieve it? What's the time frame? Otherwise - it's just something you say like when I tell my wife I'll get around to cleaning out the basement or replacing the outlet covers. But if you're committed, patient and smart enough to achieve your goal, take note of what it took to get you there. Because that's what it'll take to maintain it. And when and if you slip, don't fret - just reset.
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