The harsh reality: NO, resolutions don’t work…at least not by themselves. But you can make them work IF you choose to! To be successful, goal setting needs to be a habit, not a once a year thing. Too often people think New Year’s Resolutions have some type of super powers and so we don’t take the personal accountability to make things happen ourselves.  So what does it take to make New Year’s Resolutions a reality?

One of the really big ways to improve your chances of success is to share your goals with others. This builds social accountability and most of us don’t want to suffer the embarrassment of not doing what we tell others we are going to do. To multiply this even more, find a great coach. I don’t necessarily mean a sports coach. Simply find someone who has done what you want to do or has achieved a level of success you want, and then find out if they offer any kind of coaching programs to help others do the same thing. I’ve written many checks to coaches who help me get what I want in life. But if I measure how much it would have cost me to do on my own and the time it would have taken, then these are some of the best investments I’ve made in my life. Additionally, coaching clients in my programs have been able to get more–a lot more–out of their business and lifestyle. So, no matter what your goals are, there is likely a coach you can find to help you get there much faster…and life is simply too short to ride in the slow lane!

One special type of resolution to consider is the fitness or weight loss related resolution. These usually fail by February because people don’t understand what it takes. Real health and fitness is about changing your LIFESTYLE not just making a resolution. The fad workouts and miracle diets don’t work because they aren’t sustainable. They promise complete transformation, but they fail to deliver. And forget about debating healthcare programs that are often discussed in politics…the biggest failure in health and medicine is that we as a people don’t often take accountability for our lifestyle. This is why child and adult obesity is skyrocketing. The following are common reasons that fitness and weight loss resolutions fail:

• People go overboard when they first start and end up in too much pain
• Using stupid gadgets, celebrity endorsed diets, or magic pills they see on late night TV that  promise results with almost no effort
• Poor nutrition (at least half of your fitness is what you eat!)
• Boredom through monotonous activities or exercises
• No social interaction
• Expecting real and sustainable results in 4-8 weeks

So the key is to find activities that give REAL results, engage people in a social environment, keep you motivated, educate you on nutrition fundamentals and are based on sound exercise science.  Everyone is different, so choices and results will vary as well.  Some great options include martial arts programs, kickboxing, and yoga classes.  Look at the major fitness themed programs such as The Biggest Loser and other competitive shows and you will find that martial arts moves, kickboxing, bag work, and yoga themed training are a very popular and effective segments of training.  Whatever your choices are, do your research.  Go check them out because just as I mentioned above, finding the right coach or the right instructor can make all the difference here.  Find out if the instructors have credentials and experience.  With the right answers, you can make the best decisions for you.

For more information about coaching, health and fitness or new year’s resolutions, contact Jeff Dousharm at Jeff@paradigmImpactgroup.com or call Jeff Dousharm Enterprises at 402-858-6755