Fit for Life: Conquer Your Resolutions

Saturday, January 05, 2019

Matt Espeut, GoLocalWorcester Health +Lifestyle Contributor

Ok so it's here. 2019 is already a few days old.

You told yourself you will start fresh on Jan 1, but it started on a Tuesday so you say I’ll wait and start on Monday.

Right?

Probably not, and if you do start, how long will it last?

Why does this happen if our intentions are there at the time?

Why do we even set these goals?

Is it the feeling of starting a new year?

Is it the stress of the rat race holiday season that makes us want change?

Are there a lot of things wrong with your life, that you need to change?

Whatever the reason we make resolutions, the reason we don't stick to them is that the goals we set are usually too difficult and unrealistic.

It sounds great at the time.

"I am going to lose 20lbs., or I am going to make more money, beat all my personal records, stop smoking, etc etc.

The problem is that we make these big promises to ourselves with no plan to conquer them.

Every feat we accomplish needs to have a plan.

If you fail to plan, then plan to fail. This philosophy, I have learned, is the gold standard for success. In order to accomplish what you set out to do, you need to make a list. A step by step process that gives you a clear path to your finish line.

Otherwise, you are going to haphazardly attempt these goals, and likely fail.

I, personally don't think it is wise to place these stresses and unattainable expectations on ourselves.

My suggestion to you is to set a few small, realistic attainable goals, and accomplish those before you make new ones.

Acknowledge the big picture, then reverse engineer the process.

Like instead of losing 20lbs, lose the first five, then lose 5 more. Or instead of quitting smoking, cut your intake in 1/2, then 1/2 next week, until your ultimate goal is reached. Personally, I like to make goals that have the probability to be successful.

One resolution that is truly attainable and is easy to set your sights on is " to do everything better".

I am always trying to be a better coach and trainer, so my resolution or goal is to attend a conference soon, and learn more things.

I didn’t wait until Jan 1 to start these goals either. They have been planned for a few months now, and they look something like this…Jan - taking a mandatory vacation, then attending a mentorship retreat in February. Then April its the FBBC World Conference. These are all building blocks to helping my business explode in 2019.

All these things will make me better in several areas of my life, from mental self-improvement to business knowledge. I have planned small steps to execute my “bigger goal”.

So instead of restructuring your life (unless its a total mess), just try to do everything you are doing now, but try to do it better.

Eat better, sleep better, work better, listen better, etc.

I tell people that regardless of your ability age weight sport you play, I can make you better. You will be stronger, move better eat better lift better and become a more effective person physically. I don't give false hope, or set unrealistic goals, just guarantee improvement.

In conclusion: If you want to be in better health, then you need to call me for a solution. Or better yet, click this link and sign up for our 8 Week New Year New You Challenge.

If you want to improve in other areas, make a plan, and break it down into small attainable goals. If you need help and direction, then hire a coach.

You can do whatever you put your mind to, just plan and follow through.

Happy New Year and cheers to a better 2019!!

Committed to your success,

Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitnesss consultant for over 25 years. He is the owner of Fitness Profiles, a one on one, and small group personal training company, as well as Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, located at 1284 North Main St., on the Providence/Pawtucket line. You can reach Matt at (401) 453-3200; on Facebook at "Matt Espeut", and on Twitter at @MattEspeut. "We’re all in this life together – let’s make it a healthy one.

Related Slideshow: The 7 Best Health and Fitness Apps

Here is a list of some of the most obsession worthy health apps.

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MapMyRun

MapMyRun is the number one selling running app for a reason: it is easy to use, offers community support if you want it, and tracks and stores your exact routes for you. If you are training for a race or a serious runner, users say that the extra perks in the upgraded paid version are well worth it.

Made for iPhone, Android and Blackberry

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MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal seems to be the clear favorite amongst everyone polled. It is helpful not only for the fitness tracking aspect, but everyone polled mentioned how much they loved the food/diet aspect as well. From carb counting for diabetics to recipe ideas to complement your fitness goals, users love this app.

Made for iPhone and Android

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JeFit

JeFit is another fitness app that has rave reviews. It not only tracks progress for you, but offers a huge database of workouts. While many apps offer community support, JeFit allows you to sync workouts with friends who use the app, offering a (real) virtual buddy system.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Strava

Strava gets the highest mark of all the cycling apps. While it is also great for runners, the cyclers seem particularly inclined towards the fierce competition that can be ignited by this app. You can track all of your rides via GPS, then you can compare your efforts to those logged by others in the community on the same stretch of road. You can also join ongoing challenges that can net you great prizes (in addition to bragging rights).

Made for iPhone and Android

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YogaStudio

YogaStudio gets the top vote for Yoga apps. It has a lengthy collection of full class-length videos available at your fingertips. Unlike many other apps, this one also allows you to customize your own video yoga class. All of the poses are done by qualified yoga instructors, and you can find classes suitable for all levels of yogis.

Made for iPhone only

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SimplyBeing

SimplyBeing meditation app offers the best of both worlds. You can choose to run this app as a background for your meditation with soothing music or natural sounds that run for a set amount of time. Conversely, for those of you who have trouble focusing during meditation, you can choose a soothing voice-guided meditation.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Fooducate

Fooducate is an app all about educating people so that they make healthier food choices. Although not perfect, this app is easy to use (you can even take pictures of bar codes to instantly find foods in their database). It gives food a letter grade, tells you the pluses and minuses, and gives you better ranked alternatives. You can also use it as a weight loss tool by tracking your daily calories.

Made for iPhone and Android