Now that we have started a new year, and well into February, I’m sure many of you have made some resolutions. Resolutions are good. They can keep us on track for some positive changes in our lives. I think the key to keeping a resolution is to focus on small goals that will add to your overall happiness in life, and to be present and try to realize that resolution as each day comes.
For example, perhaps your resolution is to run more. You might have said, “I am going to run 4 times a week this year.” Instead of thinking that way, try living your resolution day-to-day, and instead, think: “Today, I will run.” Or, “Today, I will rest.” Do not think, I’ll run tomorrow. I’ll run on the weekend. Or how about the famous, “I will start my diet on Monday.” (And this is wrong for soooo many reasons…beginning with the word “diet”…ugh! But, I won’t go there.) I think we all put too much emphasis on worrying or thinking about the future (myself included). We are not guaranteed a future. We are only guaranteed the moment we are in. That’s not to say I think we should live recklessly. I just think that it is our journey in life to learn and grow and become the best people we can be, each day. I think true change must come from inside your mind. You must make the decision.
True, successful change will come when you decide to start thinking about achieving what you want in a positive manner. Every choice you make, every thought in your head, must be headed in a forward direction to keep that resolution. Hence, thinking, “I am glad I rested today.” Not, “I should have run today.” And, when you perceive that you failed at whatever goal you set, you must remember that the words within your own mind are sometimes the loudest and strongest you hear…so make sure you are your own cheerleader, and not your own personal bully. It’s easy to be hard on ourselves and berate ourselves when we miss a workout, eat a horrible meal, or grab that cigarette we meant to quit.
Making a bad choice, skipping a workout or performing poorly at a race doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means that your heart and mind have been tested, and they need to get stronger. It’s up to you to choose to do so. Whether you get up, or throw in the towel is within your power. Moving one step ahead is better than sitting on the couch waiting for good things to come to you.
When you think you’ve failed, be your own motivator. Do not wait for others to do it for you. Do not wait for next week to begin again. Begin again that very moment you realize you fell short. Be it in your personal life, your professional life, your fitness... one day, you will run out of chances to change. I shall leave you with the famous words of Master Yoda, “Do or do not. There is no try.”