I love the prospect of a New Year! All that open space of possibility to make new weight loss goals create a new fitness plan and all sorts of other dreams come true! In fact, as the new year rolls in, many people around the world will be optimistically setting New Year’s resolutions. The most common aspirations for the coming year in the U.S. are to eat healthier, get more exercise and to save more money. Let this be YOUR year! Let me share with you how I created a fitness plan I didn’t quit, despite some major obstacles.
Create a fitness plan you won’t quit! Let this be your year! I will share how I created a fitness plan I didn’t quit and got in the best shape of my life!
Know Your Why
A few months before my 49th birthday I knew I wanted to be in the best shape of my life by the time I turned 50. My birthday is December 29, So I guess my New Years goal began about 16 months before I turned 50. You see, when I turned 40 I was NOT in the best shape of my life. I managed to change my nutrition plan, lose weight and keep it off. I managed to start a new business and grow it. I worked on my mindset and cultivated relationships. And by the end of the decade, I even began and stuck to a fitness plan…sort of! More on that in a bit.
But what I really wanted to do was fine tune it all, dig a little deeper and show myself that a little extra effort every day would deliver my best results ever. And that was that. My WHY was ME.
Do Stuff You Love
I tried all the things for a rock-solid fitness plan: at home workouts with videos, without video, boot camps on the beach, boot camps in a park, yoga in a studio, in a park. Running. Walking. None of it worked. Deep down inside I knew that what I really loved was going to a class that consisted of cardio + weights, with an instructor who shouted into their headset over loud music. And I didn’t want to have to talk to anyone. Finally, it had to be at 5am so I could get on with my day. Talking with people? Not so much.
This was total “me” time. I got in, did my thing, and got out. It was heaven.
I locked on and didn’t let go. And then I got injured. Step 3 is a biggie. But first, here’s the key: find the things you love. Try all the things and lock onto the one that is FUN, gets you RESULTS, and that won’t bore you to tears!
Be Real, Don’t Get Hurt
So I began my fitness plan: workouts 3 times a week. Walking on the treadmill (I was horrified at how out of shape I really was despite my “healthy” weight. Yup, Skinny Fat for the win!) eventually led to jogging which eventually led to running. Then it led to unhealthy competition with my husband who is actually a runner. A fast one. This led me straight to a stress fracture and off the treadmill (and my feet altogether) for 90 days. With a cane. Really, I’m not even making this up.
Starting again felt like….starting again. Horrible! But, walking led to jogging which led to running and then I just raced against myself, and not anyone else. Then my girl pushups turned into big boy pushups and I just kept adding reps.
And then…Appendicitis. Not even joking.
Sidelined again, I despaired thinking I’d never get a leg up. Once I received clearance from my doctor, I began again. Walking on the treadmill, turned into jogging, turned into running. But a less time between the walk to jog to run. Still rocked the pushups, and then I was able to add heavier weights to my exercise.
Somehow along the way my three workouts a week turned into five. Momentum!
Friends
So, remember how at the beginning I didn’t want to be talking to anyone? Well, also along the way I gathered up friends. People I sweat alongside became the reason why I got out of bed at 4:15 am. Coaches who gave me feedback on form, encouragement on my progress, and called me by name were a draw to dig deep and go when I really didn’t feel like it. I learned that people were watching me and that I was motivation for THEM to do
You just never know where you will find a tribe that will pull you through thick and thin. Even when you’re not looking for one!
So here’s the thing: Creating goals and resolutions can be fun, or torture. ACHIEVING your goals is AWESOME. Be kind to yourself and begin your journey with a clear why. Understand what makes you willing to work. And then, take that first step!
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