So You Made A Resolution

So You made (a) resolution(s) for 2010.

Here are some interesting findings;

Author, innovation consultant, and speaker Stephen Shapiro, with the help of Opinion Corporation of Princeton, New Jersey, offers the following interesting statistics concerning New Year’s resolutions:

• Forty-five percent of Americans usually set New Year’s Resolutions; seventeen percent infrequently set resolutions; thirty-eight percent never set resolutions
• Eight percent are always successful in achieving their resolutions; nineteen percent achieve their resolutions every other year; forty-nine percent have infrequent success; twenty-four percent (one in four) never succeed and have failed on every resolution every year.
• Forty-seven percent set resolutions related to self-improvement or education
• Thirty-eight percent set resolutions related to weight
• Thirty-four percent set resolutions related to money
• Thirty-one percent set resolutions related to relationships
• The younger you are, the more likely you are to achieve your resolutions (thirty-nine percent of those in their twenties achieve their resolutions every year or every other year, while less than fifteen percent of those over fifty achieve their resolutions every year or every other year)
• The less happy you are, the more likely you are to set New Year’s resolutions (this is especially true for those who set money-related resolutions: forty-one percent are not happy; thirty-four percent are moderately happy; twenty-five percent are happy)
• There is actually no correlation between happiness and resolution setting/success (people who achieve their resolutions every year are no happier than those who do not set resolutions or who are unsuccessful in achieving them)

Stephen Shapiro, “Interesting New Year’s Resolution Statistics,” Stephen Shapiro’s 24/7 (stephenshapiro.com) (12-11-08)

I find that rather then making New Years resolution and failing, it is easier and more successful to make short, medium  and long term goals for the year. When making your goals it is always best to sit down and write them out. Or, if you are like me, put them on your blog for all to see. This is another way of helping us to achieve them. Accountability is a great tool.

I like to begin by making  3 month, 6 month, 9 month and 12 month goals. When doing this, be sure to put the goal that is easiest to reach first and so forth out to the 12 month goal.

For instance if weight loss is a goal and you want to lose 50 pounds, then break it down so it does not seem like such a large feat. So, we want to lose 50 pounds in a year. The way I would do this is to divide 50 by 4 .  So it wold look something like this;

3 month goal:  12.5 pounds so by April 1st I would want to have lost a total of 12. 5 pounds.  You can break that down even further into months  so we have only 4.17 pounds to lose each month. So now, that 50 pounds does not look so big and unattainable.

6 month goal would be 25 pounds. We will have wanted to lose this by July 1st. Now we only have 12.5 pounds to lose if we made our goal for the first three months. If you stumbled those first few months then we have a little more work to do this next three, but that is okay.

9 months would be 37.5 pounds. This we will want to lose by Oct. 1 and seeing how we have reached our smaller goals each month we still have only 12.5 pounds to lose for this quarter.  We are well on our way to that 50 pound mark.

12 months we will be the 50 pounds. So when we step on that scale December 31st or January 1st, we will have lost a total or at least 50 pounds.

Now these last three months can be a little tricky. Thrown in this mix is Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Oh, all that delicious food.  This can play out in two ways. So, November comes along and we have lost a total of  45.87 pounds (4.17 x 11) we have just 4.13 pounds left. Some of us may use this as justification to be able to eat anything and as much as we want. Others, on the other hand may use this as motivation to eat light and healthy.  Just know that Christmas is around the corner with all that great food also.

So lets say it is January 1st and you jump on the scale and it shows a total of 45 pounds lost. “Oh no, we failed to reach our goal of 50 pounds. This was no better then making a New Years Resolution!”

WAIT!!! This is where we are wrong. Remember those short term goals? We were able to reach them each time and we are standing here 45 pounds lighter then we started last year at this time. Yes, we did not lose the entire 50 pounds, so we missed the final goal. But now we can look back and see how we were able to reach the smaller goals and now we can set out to have small goals to reach for the next year. Oh, and the 5 pounds we were short, those can be part of the next years short term goals.  So in the first  3 months of the next year we have 5 pounds to lose. Now I ask you, is that attainable after what we just did? You bet it is!

Now we have lost the 50 pounds that we had wanted to in the first place, it just took a couple of extra months.

So, how are we going to lose the extra weight and get healthier in the process and not fail? The answer is not just by dieting. We must get involved in a physical fitness routine that will build lean muscle mass while reducing the over all percentage of fat we carry. We must learn to eat better foods.

Some of us,  A lot of us, when we set out to make such goals as weight loss decide to join a gym or a weight loss club.  Below are some stats that you may find interesting and may want to think about when doing so.

“If you’re still here in April, it’ll be a miracle.”

The fitness craze is going gangbusters, with gym attendance up 23% since 2001, to 41.3 million, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sports club Association (IHRSA).
Most new recruits sign up in January, the busiest month for fitness clubs. That’s when well-intentioned souls trying to stick to their New Year’s resolutions flood their local gyms, often resulting in long lines at the treadmills, overtaxed gym staffs and towel shortages in the locker rooms.

But it’s not long before the throngs thin; most people who make those resolutions trip up in the first 90 days, says Alan Marlatt, the director of the Addictive Behaviors Research Center at the University of Washington. Indeed, that’s what clubs expect. “They bet on it,” says Meg Jordan, the editor of American Fitness magazine, adding that most gyms count on a 20% to 30% dropout rate.

So, what can you do to not be a statistic in the fallout rate?

I recommend finding a small personal type gym or at least one that you can get some personal attention. Also you want this personal attention to come from qualified people. You want someone who is trained and certified to teach you and help you obtain your goals. Also, they will be able to help you set realistic goals.

Find a gym where you will get the support of the staff/trainers/coaches. If you do happen to go to a larger box gym, try and get into some of the smaller classes. A good support system is crucial. Also the  other members can provide that support and encouragement. Support and encouragement will help you not become a drop out statistic.

If you have read some of my earlier posts then you know that I have gotten into Crossfit. I want to tell you that if you are serious about your fitness and achieving long term health and fitness goals, then Crossfit is where you want to be. Crossfit will help you with your fitness without having to spend hours upon hours in the gym each time,which will allow you to be able to do the other things you love and need to do.

Here you will get the personal attention, the support and the encouragement. I am a member of Crossfit Michiana. I can not say enough good things about the trainers here. Each one of them are there to help. The support and encouragement will help you to stick with it. Also, they are a certified trainers and know their stuff which will help you to reach your goals in fitness and nutrition. (My case in point, a great post by Jim) Titled, Monday or Tomorrow.

You will find this pretty much in each Crossfit gym, just ask to see their certifications if they are not already posted on a wall somewhere. Crossfit will help you get into that physical shape that we are looking for, by helping you in the gym and with the nutrition. The support you get is phenomenal!

I encourage you to set short term goals this year and share them with others that you are comfortable with, or if you are really brave, put them on your blog for all to see.

Mine will be posted shortly.

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