January can be a good time to evaluate your previous efforts to improve the health of your body and mind. It is the traditional time of year to re-invest in yourself.

My advice is to be careful not to take on too much in January. I have seen people fail in their efforts by doing everything at once – changing their diet and drinking habits, adding lots of intensive training in the gym and changing their daily routine. Trying for a total makeover can lead to setbacks, especially if you don’t see results straight away. We’ve all started with great ambitions that don’t last despite good intentions.

Instead, why not try changing one thing at a time? Decide what needs to be fixed by putting together a list of the things that aren’t working for you. Then prioritise them and see if you can limit yourself to making one change.

It’s really important to know why you want to make that change. It’s not enough to say you want to lose weight – why and by when? Try and uncover the real motivation, is it to fit into a dress for a wedding, or to be able to run 5K for charity? Set yourself an achievable target of weight loss or fitness. Then consider what you’re prepared to change by choosing something that you’ll be able to stick with until you reach your goal.

Instead of focusing on a number on the scales, pay attention to how your clothes fit or how tight your belt is. If you find standing on the scales every morning depresses you – don’t do it. Maybe the one change you make is to put the scales in the attic for 2022, or agree to weigh yourself on the first day of the month.

When you are happy with the change and you’re seeing results, then you can return to your list. You might find that your original goals need updating as you will be in a different place now.

Make sure you change a simple thing that you can manage. You will be pleasantly surprised of the results, your self confidence will improve and your motivation to carry on will increase. It will make it easier to tackle your next item on the list. Small actions can give fantastic results over time. Perseverance and consistency are key elements to success. One of my clients, who is a motor racing driver, knows that being the fastest for one lap will not win you the race. All the other laps count. You might get the fastest lap but if every lap you do is consistently good you might just win the race!!!

What am I going to try this month? During January I am going to make more time for myself:

  • Why – I advise others that it’s important to make yourself the priority!
  • We often put others before ourselves, leaving us exhausted and unable to achieve our goals
  • Like the above article I am going to make one change to achieve it
  • I’ll start from January 1st
  • I will let you know how I get on!

Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy New Year. Make this one count!

Rich

Here to support you through Personal Training and Nutritional Advice and Massage