Happy 2020! How did you spend the new year? I have a very specific ritual I use at the end of a year/beginning of a new one. I wanted to share it with you:
My yearly New Year’s Ritual
Step 1 – What went right in 2019? List out everything you accomplished, everything that went right – you might be shocked (I was!) at how awesome the year really was and how much you moved the needle! You’ll also realize how much you are capable of!
Step 2 – What lessons did you learn this year? Writing them down really helps you gain perspective on what’s important as you plan the upcoming year.
Step 3 – What will you focus on in 2020? Write down your goals, then the specific actions that will help you reach them. Then, choose a word for the way you want to FEEL this year. Put it somewhere you’ll always see it. My word last year was CONNECTION, this year is JOY.
Step 4 – What do you want to leave behind in 2019? List out the habits that held you back in 2019 on a piece of paper, and then burn them. Dramatic? Sure, but leaves an emotional impact that you won’t forget.
I would love for you to share your answers with me, just hit reply!
Setting goals – what’s effective and what you’ll quit by February
As a coach and someone who has taught myself how to live the exact life I want to be living, I wanted to also share my secrets for effective goal/resolution setting as you focus on your own health and fitness goals in 2020. If you really want to make some changes this year, here are my suggestions for making them stick:
Don’t…
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…set your goals and resolutions as a reaction to an indulgent holiday or poor body image. This is EXACTLY why most people give up by February. The feelings of regret, anxiety over your body, and guilt intensify your attack on food and exercise, which will lead you to burn out fast. Let any guilt from the holidays go, and set your goals based on what you want your life to FEEL like. Then chase that feeling daily.
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…focus on outcomes and results. While it’s fine to want a result or outcome like losing weight, if you stay focused on it, you’ll become quickly frustrated because results are not something you can control the timing of. Being focused on results is like asking “are we there yet?” every few minutes on a long drive, it makes time feel as though it has stopped. Every small thing that goes “wrong” feels like the end of the world because you’re so anxious to get to your destination, which can easily lead to you giving up. Instead, sit back and relax and find a way to enjoy the ride. Take the actions needed to reach your goal, and focus on how awesome they make you feel. This is how you “get in the zone” and before you know it, you’re there.
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…change too much at once. New Years Resolutioners tend to overestimate their brain’s ability to handle change, driven by the desire for change to happen RIGHT NOW…so they do too much too fast, and burn out by February. Instead, take baby steps. Choose 2-3 small changes to focus on: a healthy breakfast, a short daily walk. Build on this a little at a time and have some patience.
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…focus on the symptoms and ignore the deeper cause. Overeating and compulsive eating, jumping on and off bandwagons, skipping workouts, being obsessed with food and your body, and self-neglect are all SYMPTOMS. Too many of us are hyperfocused on changing these symptoms without ever examining the deeper issues that actually cause them, which means we’ll never get anywhere because the root cause hasn’t changed. Work from the inside out – heal your relationship with food, heal your relationship with your body, become your own best friend instead of your own worst enemy, and develop unshakeable self-respect. This will make the habits you’ve been trying to force become effortless as they flow from this positive new mindset.
For more on this topic, listen to this week’s Fitness & Sushi podcast episode, “How to Stop Being a New Year’s Resolution Statistic” (also available on Spotify and Google Play)
XO,
Deanna
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