Have you ever considered that the reason your resolutions never stick is not because you’re weak willed, or you didn’t make your goals ‘SMART’ enough, but because you’re simply making the wrong resolutions? They may have been right ‘BC’, before children, when life was simpler and ‘get more exercise’ was as easy leaving the house which, as all mothers (and comedian, Michael McIntyre) know, isn't easy at all.
I NEVER set New Year’s Resolutions around something as specific as diet or exercise any more. Heck, my life as a mum is WAAAAAY too chaotic for that, and yet I’m stronger and healthier now than I was pre-kids. HOW? Instead of big resolutions I set 'intentions' around my 'life laundry'. I focus on the small, every day things that help me have enough energy, time and mental strength to do the things that I know are 'good for me' like eating well and exercising. I aim to get enough sleep, have daily quiet time and do things that make me feel happy. For instance, a couple of years ago I set an intention to only watch TV shows that made me feel positive or that challenged my thinking in some way. I cleared myself of all of the negative energy that comes from watching dark, twisted Thrillers (which I still kind of love), and started watching more comedy and heaps of TED talks. And guess what? It had a serious positive effect on my mood and when I'm in a better mood, I make better choices and am much more open to change.
This might seem a bit weird coming from a personal trainer. After all, January is a great time of year for me to use your guilt about all the overindulgence of Christmas to ‘hook’ you in to buying training and nutrition support from me (and on that note ... join my 'Bristol based 'Core Strength for Mums course here). But I don’t want you to join my 'tribe' if you’re after a get fit quick solution. Crash dieting or throwing yourself into a full on exercise regime is all well and good but if, after a few weeks, those new healthy habits fall by the wayside along with your self - well, what's the point?
But I get it. We all buy in to this idea that the New Year is the time to 'get healthy' again because we feel guilty about all the crap we’ve eaten over Christmas. And so we are desperate to start exercising. To quit sugar, go smoke-free or, if we're really desperate, do Veganuary. BUT WE'VE GOT IT THE WRONG WAY AROUND!
The trouble is that the messages we get from society and social media are always telling us that we need to do more, be more, have more in order to be happy. Headline hooks like, 'Make 2019 your BEST YEAR YET!' are thrown at us left, right and centre and even though we know deep down that BEing, HAVing and DOing more is only good for making us feel stressed and overwhelmed; we still strive towards it anyway. But seriously mama, YOU ARE YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY. It is up to you to say NO MORE!
So. It’s nearly January. You’ve had your fill of chocolates and cheese. You’re ready to start some ‘clean living’ and yet you don’t know quite know where to start. Well don’t start with ‘do more exercise’. Don’t start with ‘eat less crap’. There is another way and what’s exciting is that the new way has potential to reach far more areas of your life than just your relationship with food and fitness. How about those other important relationships like the ones with your partner, your kids, your work, YOU?!
So if you are wanting to 'get healthy' in 2019 and make it your 'best year yet', but you don't want the guilt and stress and pressure that goes with these great expectations, then join me in Heather's Health Hub, where you'll find more of this way of doing things PLUS part 2 of this blog post, the ONLY 3 RESOLUTIONS YOU'LL NEED for 2019!