Forget resolutions

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/01/2019 (2752 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After a holiday season full of indulgence, you are particularly motivated to start a healthy lifestyle (or feeling guilty).

You start by setting a few resolutions for the new year.

Full of motivation, you are letter perfect that first week. But, as time passes, everything becomes harder. You’re dragging yourself out of bed each morning, only to manage a mediocre workout. You’re compulsively opening the SkipTheDishes app to stare at pictures of food you can’t eat. Sooner or later, you finally cave and binge-eat your way through a Netflix marathon.

You are not alone. The statistics are grim — according to U.S. News & World Report, 80 per cent of New Year’s resolutions fail before Valentine’s Day.

I have worked with hundreds of men and women, many of whom have shared similar stories of setting goals to improve their fitness, failing to reach them and being left to blame their lack of willpower.

Your willpower is not the reason you’re not achieving your goals. The problem is your goal-setting process and the unrealistic plan of action.

If you go from the couch to trying to adopt the Rock’s fitness routine right out of the gates, you will fail.

So, how can you change your success rate this year?

Set one specific goal

Your focus is finite and you can only juggle so many knives and bowling pins. You should start with just one impactful goal — and get very clear on what it is.

Don’t use generalizations like “I’m going to eat better” or “I’m going to exercise more.”

These are the sorts of things that kill your motivation right out of the gate. You aren’t sure what to do next, so you do nothing.

Instead, set one clear outcome goal to achieve in the first 90 days of the year.

Let’s say your outcome goal is to lose 10 pounds and two inches off your midsection by April 1.

Set your daily action steps

If your outcome goal is your desired destination, your action steps are the road map to get you there.

For example, with your weight loss goal in mind, your action steps might be:

• Go to the gym three times per week;

• Prepare food every Sunday for the week ahead to ensure you have healthy lunches at the ready;

• Eat out only once a week; and

• Get in bed by 11 p.m. every night.

That’s it. Focus on a handful of small, daily habits you can achieve. In Atomic Habits, author James Clear talks about making small, habitual changes for lasting success. One per cent better compounds over time.

For example, aim to lose one pound per week.

Do you think you could do that? Most people would be like, “Of course. That’s easy.” And they’re right.

But here’s the funny thing: If you do that every week, that translates to 50 pounds lost over the course of a year.

Get clear on your reason

You likely already know your outcome goal, or where you’d ultimately like to be. Remember to set quarterly targets along the way (like our 10-pound example) even if you have a much more ambitious end goal for 2019.

But, here’s the thing. You will face obstacles along the way. Life will throw curveballs. You’ll be faced with a bunch of setbacks.

So, the stronger your reason for getting in shape in the first place, the easier it all becomes.

Maybe it’s to be around to see your children get married.

Maybe it’s so you won’t have to hide in family photos for fear of getting tagged on Facebook.

Maybe it’s to have more energy and confidence to go after that promotion.

Whatever it is, you’ll need to keep that front of mind to succeed over the long haul.

Set up reminders

Put your outcome goal as a calendar notification in your phone that goes off daily “Lose 10 pounds and two inches by April 1” and list your action steps in the description.

Further still, you can put it on a whiteboard in your home office or as a note on your computer as well.

To recap, in order to set and achieve your goal:

• Identify one outcome goal for the first quarter of 2019;

• Identify a handful of daily action steps goals you can stick to that’ll move you toward your goal;

• Get clear on your reason for getting in shape in the first place; and

• Set up constant reminders in your environment.

By following these steps, you will be crystal clear on the path you need to follow to get results that stick this time.

Mitch Calvert is a Winnipeg-based body transformation coach for men and women like his former self, with worse genes than Chris Farley. Obese as a teenager, he now helps clients find their spark and lose the weight for life. He’s a regular contributor to Men’s Health and Muscle & Fitness magazines, among others. Grab yourself a free diet transformation cheat sheet exclusively at mitchcalvert.com.