Keys To Making 2008 Your Healthiest Year Yet

By Dennys Passeto

Achieve Fitness

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Keys To Making 2008 Your Healthiest Year Yet

When I sat down to write this article, I decided that I didn't want to do the same old, repetitive, boring new year's resolution article that other fitness experts are doing. I wanted to break down why we feel compelled to make a resolution and also share some of my key points that apply not only in fitness, but in life, work and business.
Every year in January most people make so-called resolutions. I personally dislike the word. I feel it's too trendy. I understand that the month of January usually means you have a clean start. A chance to make change in a measurable way; for example, “That was the year I” In your own mind, the slate is wiped clean from all your “sins” of the previous years and now you have a chance to start from scratch.
Many people think of the new year as a way to put anything you always wished you could change about yourself behind sort of like when you were a kid and moved to a new neighborhood having to make all new friends. All the embarrasing things you had done were practically erased (I could never live down the time I ran into a no parking sign playing tackle football). Now nobody knows anything about you and you can present yourself in a different light.
Here are some key points that I use in my own life to achieve my goals and I'd like to share them with you
First and Foremost
Accepting the Challenge
It's easy to tell yourself that something is too hard and to do nothing. This is what 98% of our society does. Your challenge is going to consume you. This is now a part of who you are and what you do. You are going to be faced with tough decisions and temptations. You can't feel sorry for yourself that you can't have this or that. You have to acknowledge that fighting these urges are challenges that come with being the person you have chosen to be.
Understand That It Takes Work
What you have chosen to undertake is something that has probably never come natural to you. You have to create habits. One of my favorite quotes is “Successful people make a habit of doing the things they don't like to do.” This is so true. It takes 21 days of doing something for it to naturally become a habit. If you always stay in your comfort zone you will never excel. Get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself.
Visualization and Affirmation
By now many people have heard of The Secret or people like Tony Robbins and, one of my favorite's, Dr. Wayne Dyer's You'll See It When You Believe It. As opposed to the common train of thought “I'll believe it when I see it,” visualize yourself succeeding. Tell yourself how much you enjoy what you are doing. Again, one of my favorite quotes that goes with this point is “no man is happy who does not think himself so.”
Focus on the Reward
Not the Process
The process of doing anything out of our comfort zone usually a chore. This is when you need to look at the long-term goal. Focus on the ultimate reward for doing that task. Don't lament over the fact that it's too cold outside or the gym is too far. Think about the person you will have become after just a few short weeks of dedicating yourself.
Set Small Goals and
Long-Term Goals
It's great to think big, but unfortunately, that's what causes many people to fail. You need to first lose five pounds before you can lose 10, 20 or 30 pounds. Reward yourself for hitting those small goals. It wasn't easy, but you did it. Take a moment to reflect on this to motivate you for the next small goal. You'll be at your ultimate goal before you know it.
Get Help A Mentor,
A Trainer, A Coach
From Olympic athletes to the average person, we all need some motivation and guidance; someone to keep us on track for hitting our goals. Someone who can help you identify a weakness in your training or habits and focus on helping you overcome them.
Surround Yourself With People With Similar Goals and Attitudes
If you are trying to undue a habit, you need to rid yourself of your enablers. These can be friends or family who drive you to do what it is you were trying to quit; excessive eating, smoking, drinking, etc. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people makes what you are trying to achieve seem easy. This is now what is important to you and it's what you want to share and talk about. Don't let the “tire kickers” of society hold you back.
Follow these points in your fitness and nutrition plan and you are certain to be successful. Don't let other people's negativity or even a failed past attempt get in the way. This is your life and you are in control. Grab the bull by the horns and make 2008 your best year yet.