Posts Tagged ‘new year resolutions’

 

The beginning of the year is a time of dreaming about the future, setting new goals and striving towards making this year more of a success than the previous one. Most people have realised that New Year’s resolutions don’t work. You need solid goals to pursue. However, most of these goals usually focus on working harder, doing more and becoming better. So much focus is placed on striving forward that we forget an age-old wisdom caught beautifully in the old English proverb: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

Many of us grew up with a very strong work ethic and the high pressure circumstances we live in presently, contribute to this idea of always going at full pace, as if work is all there is to life. Although this driven attitude is admirable, and is commended, an exclusive focus on only work, may leave you as a dull or rather burnt-out person.

Just as important as it is to set goals and work hard, it is also crucial that we laugh and experience activities that provide us with enjoyment and energy. You have probably experienced going home after a long day at work, feeling tired and drained. And how a change of activity can fill up your energy reserves again, like when you play with your children, go for a game of squash, or read an intriguing novel. These activities bring balance into our lives. Unfortunately, most people are not so serious about making these activities a priority in their lives.

As with goals for success we need to set some goals for playing and having fun too. Therefore, as you pull out your calendar to set goals for your work also put some of the following events in your diary. Decide what you will do in each category to increase your level of fun and enjoyment.

1. Sport

Some people really enjoy their sport, whether they are taking part in formal competitions, participating informally in the park or just watching their favourite team play. For them sport can instantly lift their mood and change their state of mind. If you are one of them, what are you going to this year to make your particular sport a greater priority in your life?

2. Culture

Cultural activities also have the ability to lift your mood and change your emotional state. Some people will feel uplifted by going to a gig of their favourite Rock band, while others enjoy listening to a symphony orchestra or watching ballet. Others may prefer a poetry reading in front of a log fire or attending a stand-up comedy evening. Whatever your choice of cultural activity may be, they all have one thing in common, whether you are on stage or one of the audience, they can energise and uplift you.

They have a strong influence on our emotions and can provide us with a lot of enjoyment. Which cultural activities have this effect on you and when was the last time you’ve participated in any of these activities?

 

3. Hobbies

Other activities that have the power to re-energise you, is participating in hobbies. Something that you can immerse yourself in like an excellent novel. You may have experienced being very irritated about something, but the moment you pick that book up, you step into another world and when you step back to the real world again, the irritation has gone. Maybe that happens to you when you watch a good movie or cook a great meal or maybe you find enormous pleasure in being with animals or having a pet. What hobbies or activities give you pleasure and how are you going to make these a bigger part of your life this year?

4. Travel

Is life still an adventure to you? Did you dream about the places you would visit when you were young? Maybe these mystical places were just your grandmother’s back garden or maybe you dreamt of going to the Taj Mahal or Angkor Wat. Some people love to travel and explore different countries and cultures, while others prefer to stay in their hometown or their own country. Whatever your preference may be, do you still get excited by thinking or dreaming about these places? Are there still places you would love to visit or would love to return to? Where will you be going this year?

Focussing on these four areas of your life and setting goals for each one of them, not just for your work life, will increase the positive experience you get out of this year immensely. Do this and you will have an unforgettable year!

Three reasons why people stop exercising after January – and how to overcome them

 The Christmas holidays are over and you may be weighing a little more than you wanted to, but fortunately it is a New Year – and that means that you can start fresh. It is time to set some New Year’s resolutions. According to research about a third of those who set these resolutions will do it in the area of losing weight or exercising more[i].

 

This seems like a wise thing to do, because on average people who are active live longer than those who are not. Active people usually also have a greater capacity for physical, emotional and mental stress and they normally have higher energy levels than people who do not exercise. You have probably experienced that you could feel really drained emotionally or mentally and after a bit of exercise, whether it be a quick run or a game of squash with a friend that you feel a 100% better. Correct exercise together with a healthy eating plan is also an effective way of loosing weight.

 

Gyms usually see a rise in their membership numbers in the beginning of the year, yet not many of those who start out will continue throughout the year. They will go very regularly during the first month and after that may only visit once or twice a month or stop all together. When you ask these people why they do not go to the gym anymore, the reason that they will probably give you is that they do not have enough time. This may be true, yet they did have time earlier in the year, so it sounds a little bit like an excuse. The real reason for this phenomenon of stopping exercise after January tends to fall into these three categories: either not having enough motivation to keep on exercising; not having a clear plan or goal to exercise for and not enjoying the exercise sessions. As these are common obstacles, let’s look at each in turn and how to overcome these barriers successfully.

 

1. Not having enough motivation. This happens when people are either not yet confronted by the effects of not exercising regularly or if they do not realise the benefits of regular exercise. Not exercising regularly can severely impair your health at a later stage of your life, while regular exercise will significantly improve your physical, emotional and mental health. By exercising frequently you’ll be able to burn fat faster, increase your energy levels, boost your self-esteem and relieve stress. These are real benefits that will improve your life beyond just losing a few pounds after Christmas. You need a strong enough reason to maintain motivation to exercise. The best way to remain motivated is to set  a goal for yourself, like running a 5 km race or losing 5 pounds in a month. This goal needs to be time specific so that you realise you have to exercise to reach it within the given time framework.

 

2. Not having a clear plan. You sometimes see people in the gym darting from one machine to the next, without following a clear plan for their workout. These people tend to use their membership very infrequently. They do not have an apparent purpose of what they want to achieve, neither do they have a clear plan of how they will achieve it. The best way to develop a plan is first to decide what you need to do to achieve your goal. Secondly, speak to a personal trainer or read a book on how to achieve your goal and then design a workout routine that will help you to reach your goal and fit into your schedule. Be specific about what you need to do and how you will do it. Thirdly, create a specific routine of when you will exercise. It will be much easier to commit to an exercise plan, if you know exactly when it needs to happen. This will help you to continue with your exercise program and achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself.

 

3. Not having any fun while exercising! When you do not enjoy something, you will need a lot of will power and energy to continue with it. Most people tend to stop if they do not enjoy something or at least enjoy the benefits of it. The same is true of exercise. Some people get exhilarated when they run ten miles, for others it is their worst nightmare! The key to continued exercise is therefore to find something that you enjoy doing or making the specific exercise you are doing fun. For instance, if you want to work on your fitness, but do not really like the treadmill, play some squash instead. Or if you want to do strength exercises but find it tedious, get a training partner to make it more fun. Consider playing a team sport like volleyball or join a running or swimming club or do any other sport you have always thought you would enjoy. When you enjoy what you are doing, you’ll increase the likelihood of continuing your exercise throughout the year significantly.

 

It is always important to start exercising relatively slowly and not overdo it in the beginning. Aching muscles tend to steal motivation as well! Also see your GP before you start exercising if you have any medical conditions or have any other concerns.

 

Make 2010 a year in which you keep your New Year’s resolutions, by overcoming the three obstacles to continued exercise.

 

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[i] Research performed in Dec 2008 by the Opinion Corporation and 24/7 Innovation

According to research performed by the Opinion Corporation and 24/7 Innovation in Dec 2008:

• 45% of people usually set New Year’s resolutions
• 17% set resolutions infrequently, and
• 38% absolutely never set resolutions.

Of those that do set resolutions (these add to more than 100% as some people set multiple resolutions):

• 35% want to improve their finances
• 38% want to loose weight or exercise more
• 47% want to work on their personal development or education, and
• 31% want to improve their relationships.

The problem with all of this is the fact that unless you are a businessman or a really ambitious person, you don’t measure and or track your resolutions or goals.

Jaco Beukes of LEAP IN LIFE Coaching, a certified NLP practitioner and qualified Life Coach, says that “Resolutions are easily conjured in the mind, but unless you write it down and revisit it frequently, you won’t actually know if you are successful or not. You are simply day dreaming, speculating or engaging in a bit of wishful thinking.”

The turn of each year allows you the opportunity to reinvent yourself for the next year, if you would choose to do so. But by the end of January, 90% of people would be back in “default” mode again, reverting to their old habits and ways.

This happens for various reasons: laziness, fear of change, greed, effort required, ignorance, or disbelief that the change will really make a difference.

On this point, it is important to distinguish between goals and resolutions. Goals are specific, to the point, and with a fixed deadline and outcome. Resolutions tend to be more about intentions, nice-to-haves, and dreams.

To be successful, the outcome has to be measurable, specific and time-bound. This means that you really have to make changes. And most important, you have to be held accountable by someone.

In almost all businesses, organisations or professional teams, goals are set, tracked and reported on daily; the reason for this is that businesses recognise that you can only change what you can measure and review.

Jaco states that “This power to effectively change habits and behaviours, are accessible to individuals too. You simply need to:

• Set “S-M-A-R-T” (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound) goals,
• Track it properly (It has to be written down)
• Frequently review your progress and performance, and
• Get someone to hold you accountable to your commitments!”

Jaco identified this need to give individuals a structured approach to set and track their goals, through his years of experience and working with and coaching individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds.

He therefore developed the “Gears of Life™” self-coaching system and teamed up with online education and personal development company, Life School trading as HABIT TOOL, to provide people with a free online version of the model.

The tool works in four easy steps:

1. Help the individual to become aware of his / her current situation
2. Assess the impact of their current direction in life
3. Set goals, and take effective action steps to achieve  them, and
4. Record, track and review your progress on a regular basis.

The platform on which the Gears of Life ™ is hosted, habittool.com, also contains other features such as online learning, a community forum and affiliate coaches to provide the necessary help, support and sense of accountability that the individual might require on his/her journey to achieve his/her goals.

New Year’s resolutions DO NOT work, unless you have a structured approach, the correct tools and support required. Fortunately, this is now available to everyone.