Here’s hoping for a happy and healthy 2018.

Wait…hoping?

The first mistake. Hope doesn’t work, planning does. In the KISS tradition (Keep it Simple, Stupid!), plan to make a small amount of minor changes.

New Year Resolutions rarely work, and with good reason. If they are not written out, planned out AND accountable, then they usually fail. For example, “This year I’m going to lose weight for good”. Even if you state this goal more clearly using SMART headings (“I’m going to lose 3kg by 31st December 2018”)…you need to break it down to small steps that are easily followed.

Here are some general guidelines to follow, and some useful ideas.

  1. Don’t Try New Habits…Replace the Old Ones.  This book is a great resource to understand your habits and practical steps to change them for good. https://read.amazon.co.uk/kp/embed?asin=B006WAIV6M&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_WTmsAbBGMT1CF
  2. Previous year review. Take 30 mins to review the year just passed. This could be a more valuable exercise than vague hopes looking forward. What or who brought you joy (Pro column)? What or who brought you misery (Con column)? Keep looking at this through January. Pin it up in the kitchen. Ask yourself “What 20% of each column produced the most reliable or powerful peaks?” Plan more of the peak joy, less of the peak misery.
  3. If you have a particular goal in mind, break it down into minute steps and plan around each eventuality to prevent failure. The classic and simple example is: leaving a packed gear bag with gym clothes in the car so you won’t cop out if you’re tired. If you plan to start a journal, then leave it out and visible at the place you wish to write, not hidden in a drawer.
  4. Accountability Buddy. Tell your buddy your goal. Set up a message group where you agree to send 1 message per day or 1 message per week with a progress update. Be specific! And return the favour for them. And come down on each other like a ton of bricks if you fail to deliver on your promise!
  5. Buddy training / nutrition plan. Once you add a social element, you can increase your likelihood of succeeding. It is miles easier walking every day with a friend than going alone.

My last tip, and what I’d like to see more of is: well-rounded fitness programming. To that end, we will be adding a new Flexibility class to our timetable in January. Better flexibility will help us feel, look and perform better as well as sustain your ability to train the harder stuff like lifting weights or bike sprints.

Happy New Year!