Dare to Be Extraordinary This New Year

New Year’s is a celebration of a new beginning, a clean slate.  These days, January 1st is seemingly synonymous with the idea of a “New Me.”  With all the hustle and bustle of the next 365 days and the motivation that comes along with it, half of Americans will set goals, but only 8% will still challenge those goals come December.  

 

CROWD: Only eight-percent?!

 

Yes, only eight-percent.  That statistic is low, but it doesn’t mean that resolutions are a lost cause.

 

So you ask, well, how do I get to be a part of that eight-percent?  

 

 

The people that follow through with their New Year’s resolutions seem to be an elite bunch, a group of people with extreme self-discipline and no social life.  But, this year, we’re going to change that statistic because New Year’s resolutions should be exciting.  They should be challenging, but shouldn’t stress you out so much that your everyday life becomes a hassle.

 

“You can play to win, or you can play to not lose.”

 

Here are 3 reasons why New Year’s resolutions typically don’t stick, and 3 fail proof ways to push past those challenges to be a part of the eight-percent.  Dare to read if you dare to be extraordinary.

 

     Imagine you are a T-Rex, with tiny, little T-Rex Arms.  You run into the gym just like any other dinosaur would, obviously, and you see a bunch of humans doing push-ups.  Naturally competitive, your next fitness goal is to be able to do 20 consecutive push-ups.  

     This is where so many people (and now, I’m talking about humans) struggle with setting their New Year’s resolutions.  Hypothetically, due to the size of a T-Rex’s arms, his physical build just doesn’t allow for push-ups.  If you set your New Year’s resolutions like a T-Rex would — not considering your current strength, level of fitness, or physical capabilities — you are much more likely to bail early on.

 

     Think of goals that are challenging, yet realistic.  Instead of saying that you will have a solid 300 pound dead lift by the end of 2017 when you are currently pulling 50 pounds, set a goal to try to add 5 pounds a week while maintaining proper form.  This doesn’t give you a specific number you have to hit and it doesn’t give you a deadline either.  Because of this, you won’t compromise form for weight when trying to add the last few pounds towards the end of the year (or a certain deadline).  It also allows for constant improvement, so you can meet mini milestones along the way and have mini celebrations, too.

 

     Let’s be real for a second.  I admit it.  If I could eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I would rip the vegetables out of my grocery cart faster than you could explain how Ben met Jerry.  However, so so SO many people swear off their favorite unhealthy treats on January 1st, only to feel like they screwed up when they were tempted by the ice cream man, caved, and bought a Choco Taco.  We’ve all been there, and it really must be a sin to swear off ice cream completely.

 

     Resolve to eat smaller portions of this tasty treat, but don’t cut it out completely.  After all, ice cream is your favorite food, and if you restrict yourself entirely from this frozen dessert, then mentally, every time you see a pint, you will want it more.  Ice cream is not bad for you.  It’s not the healthiest food in the entire world, but you are not unhealthy or any less fit because you treat yourself to a cone on a Saturday night with your friends.  This is where moderation is key.  Allow yourself to enjoy your favorite foods, but don’t forget that your body functions best with whole, natural foods…so…throw some of those in your grocery cart…alongside the ice cream.

 

     Elle Woods mainly gets credit for teaching us the bend-and-snap, but behind that shiny, pink exterior, was a girl with a never-give-up attitude.  Sometimes we see challenges and we run away, but this year, let’s try to be more like Elle Woods.  

 

     The snap cup was actually quite a brilliant idea because it reminded us of positive things when the world was doing everything to work against us (you can refer to the song ).  So, let’s create our very own snap cups.  Whenever you have time, jot down a few good things that have happened recently, whether it be in a journal or on a post-it note, and when you’re having a moment of doubt, take a second to look at all the great things you have accomplished.  Progress doesn’t happen overnight, so sometimes we need to be reminded of where we started.

 

 

People laugh when I say “the struggle is real,” but that just makes the struggle even more real. We live in a very impatient world.  Instant gratification is what we crave the most and when we shed blood, sweat, and tears in the kitchen and in the gym on a daily basis, a lack of immediate progress can be extremely demotivating.  

 

Instead, this year, let’s thrive, develop, bring home the bacon (in our grocery carts and our lives), and make this New Year the best one yet.