I was watching a respected health and fitness professional on Youtube and he was addressing a common phenomenon noticed in mid to late January: that many people’s resolutions and goals for a healthier life are beginning to fall by the wayside. Or have tanked completely. By February the gyms become emptier and emptier.
In another post read it here I covered how setting daily intentions rather than long term resolutions can be a more effective strategy since goals are always in the future, but intentions are in the NOW. And NOW is the only time where anything actually happens.
However, what the previously mentioned fit pro also pointed out is that many folks try to do too much in the beginning. This is especially true for those who are older or have been de-conditioned for a long time. If an exercise routine is too extreme, you simply won’t be able to stick with it.
This is where the goal reduction technique comes into play. What you do is set a daily bare minimum standard of activity that you simply cannot fail at. Some examples might be a single daily push-up or walking for 30 seconds. What good will that do? Chances are you will do more and at the very least you will get started which is a victory all on its own. Progress gradually and over a period of months and you may be astonished by the results. But you have to get started NOW. Same holds true with eating habits. If you not eating enough fruits and veggies, commit to one extra serving per day and build from there. You can do this!
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