2018 Resolutions: How to Do Them Right

2017 was a weird year – take politics off the table and it was a pretty good year. Keep it on the table and it becomes a lot more “nuanced.”

On a business level, there were a lot of changes from continuing to grow Hoboken Fitness (slowly, but surely works for me) to adding in Fat Loss University.

On a personal level, I dived into some hobbies from Broadway (saw over 80 shows this year) to starting to learn the piano.

The things I just mentioned are things you can see – the changes that you can look at and say, “That’s different,” but that doesn’t give you the reasons, the strategies why those things were able to occur.

Below are 7 things that changed drastically that allowed me to live a fuller life:
1 – I meditated much more consistently, averaging 20 minutes, 6 days per week (from April on)
2 – I stopped taking on super early morning clients – No clients before 8:30/8:45 am (from April on)
3 – Started using a more authentic voice when it came to my writing (from September on)
4 – I worked out less – This gave me more energy for everything else in my life.* (the whole year)
5 – I watched almost No TV – I would say I averaged 60 to 90 minutes per week. Which broken down by day, means I watched 8 to 13 minutes of TV per day. (from May on)
6 – I changed from reading books to listening to more audio books. I still love reading books, but finding time to do it, was difficult. (from September on)
7 – I drank a lot less (from September on)

As you can see, I referenced when the changes started to take place throughout the year.

As this is the time of New Year’s resolutions, I’m going to talk a bit about them. Personally, I love New Year’s Resolutions.

But, me being me, I don’t do Resolutions like other people.

Most other people are all about, changing on January 1^st and trying to make that stick for the rest of their lives. That is SOOoo much pressure!

I don’t do well when I think the rules are stupid….and to me, resolution rules are f’n stupid.

Change in one day!

Research has actually shown that change can occur 13-40% of the time (of my 7 habits, one was from the beginning of January), in an instant.

But, when change happens like that, it is usually accompanied by hitting a “bottom.”

When it comes to my life, it’s not me hitting a “bottom” but instead because I want to improve aspects of my life.

Therefore, without a “bottom” change occurs slowly and should be attempted with better rules.

Change More Realistically

When you’re changing to improve your life, means you won’t be a different person in a day – it just doesn’t work like that (at least for me).

So when I make resolutions, it means that my goal is to change by the end of the year. This means I want to have started to integrate the habits/resolutions into my life, by the end of the year.

That really is the point of a Resolution – that by this time next year, your life will be in a different and better place.

It isn’t meant to try and be perfect (normal Resolution rules), but that by the end of the year, your life will be improved.

Habits in and of themselves take over 2 months to solidify for easy habits and over 250 days for harder habits.

Yet, research shows that by day 32 (February 1^st), 80% of people have given up on their resolutions.

This year, try to change differently.

Stop trying to be perfect from Day 1 and instead, figure out ways to have your life be improved by the end of the year and start integrating changes into your life, when they are most natural during the course of a year. A

There are 4 main times that are more “natural” when it comes to changing:

1 – In January. The holidays are over and it’s cold.
This is when it’s best to start to get rid of things that you don’t need.
Drink too much? Do a Sober until Valentine’s day. Seriously – who wants to go out when it’s less than 20 degrees outside.

2 – In March/April – Aka, Spring
This is when it’s best to start to add things into your life, or the first pass to start to integrate things into your life. Want to workout more often. This is a great time to do that.

3 – After Memorial Day or 4^th of July
This is when it’s best to build up the relationships in your life or to work on yourself the most. Delve into what is holding you back so that come…

4 – September/After Labor Day
So come after Labor day, you have a clearer definition of what gives your life purpose and you work on that.

This January, what will you start to try and change?

Here are few things on my list to change:

• 1.Expand Fat Loss University – Keep updating it until I feel it’s “right.” Learn more about Fat Loss University.
• 2.Continue with my Broadway obsession and hobby and add one more hobby. It’s a toss-up between learning to ride a motorcycle, get into MMA training or trying to learn Spanish.
• 3.Keep up with friends and family more. I will make this happen
• 4.Continue writing every day and using social media regularly

So, I’ll leave you with this question: Where will you be in a Year?

Looking for a Program to Help You Make Changes in January?

You will be getting more info over the next 2 weeks, but for a quick glance, Click here to explore 3 options from a full-fledged Program with all the Bells and Whistles (meal plans, individualized routines and small group classes) to something nearly anyone can afford with crazy accountability.