Well, it is January 31st – the end of the first month into the year. If you are like me and most other people, chances are that you set some New Year’s resolution on New Year’s Eve. The question now then beckons, “How well are you doing with those New Year’s resolutions?”
I recently heard one of my mentors, Brian Tracy, say that 78% of New Year’s resolution already fail within a month. Wow, how about that? That is a scary statistics. While I am unsure about what the statistics really say and how you would get a real measure of that it certainly seems true that most New Year’s resolutions either get ditched almost as rapidly as the so-called decision for them was made on the New Year’s evening or quite rapidly fades away in awareness and execution of the individual.
So as for me, I set out a few resolutions for myself and in particular for getting back into shape and to lose some of those excess kilos. My plan for getting the results in this area entailed recommencing doing my runs, whether on the treadmill or outside and getting the mileage up, while really trying to cut away some of the unhealthy calories that I had a nasty habit of consuming every day. That’s right, my daily visits to Starbucks would usually result in my standard order of a double tall cappuccino and a pumpkin loaf. And when you go there every day and sometimes several times a day, then you do actually take on something extra that you don’t really want; excess pounds.
I joking mentioned last year, when I set out similar resolutions (oh, yeah, I’m just like most other people. I set resolutions and then I wane off them again after some time), that now would be the time for you to sell any Starbucks shares you might own, since their sales were bound to drop as a direct result of my visits to them were about to end.
So now a month into my little program let’s review just how well it has gone so far. Well, I kinda set out a plan to run 300 km during the month of January. I figured that I would do 10 km a day and if I skipped a day I would just have to make up for it another day. Yeah, right! You have to realize that I went from pretty much a sedentary state of activities, doing zero physical work outs for at least 6 months, to jumping right into it from day one. Well, it only took me 4 days and then my knees and calves were complaining and hurting. Obviously this is no way of doing any training. Your joints and ligaments need to get built up over time using relatively slow progression. I believe a common factor would be to increase your mileage by maximum 10% per week. So obviously I had to stop a bit and get some recovery in. I am actually not very good with this. A rest day for me often turns into two and then three and so on. I’m usually better at being really stringent or not doing anything at all. It’s a case of having a STOP and a GO button, but nothing in between. No gears, just full blast or complete stand still. I often go from doing absolutely zilch to go all out and then ending up hurting myself again, so that even if I wanted to, I would not be able to do my training. Hmmm, no so good.
Well, I have come to the realization that perhaps my results and my chances of success with this may be heightened by changing the formula a little. I may need to run one day and then intermix the routine by jumping on the bike the next day and possibly put in some strength exercises the third day and then start over or at least some interchanging of what I train and how I do it. As I have signed up for a few triathlons this year too, then I kinda should get on that bike again and perhaps really also should look at doing some swims, so it may make good sense after all.
Looking at the first month, this is what I accomplished: 165.99 km on the treadmill. Well, that is a far cry from the 300 km that I had in mind.It’s in fact just over half of the outset. While this is not terribly satisfactorily, then I am not too displeased. My original goal for the very first month was probably not too realistic. Will it be realistic to do in a monthly period? Of course, but I would have to be in a condition in which I am already pre-disposed to be able to do so. Meaning my legs, joints and muscles are better prepared through more consistent training over a little time to get me there. In terms of kilos, I lost 3.1 kgs and dropped my BMI number by 1 and my fat percentage by 1.8%. This is quite a bit less than what I had in mind as I pretty much had in mind to accomplish more or less what I did last year in January, which was losing 10 kgs in less than a month. But, and there is a but here. I believe that my course now is on the right track opting also for something more sustainable for the long haul rather than the stop and go that I have had a bad habit of doing.
Well, let’s see now. Do you sometimes feel you are seeing the same picture developing for your results too? Whether it being your health or perhaps your wealth? Do you find yourself getting into better shape lessen the excess pounds and then suddenly realize you are back again or even at a worse off state than the point your started from. Do you sometimes see your results whether in business or earning do quite a bit the same? And do you perhaps realize that perhaps you waned off too on your actions, resolutions, decisiveness and commitment?
My guess is that most of us do.
Makes you think then also what’s wrong with your pattern? Makes you realize that perhaps there are things you need to change in your formula. Makes me remember words of Jim Rohn: “We can have more than we’ve got because we can become more than we are” and likewise “The most important question to ask on the job is not “What am I getting?” The most important question to ask is “What am I becoming?”
Or in the words of Les Brown: “You must be willing to do the things today others won’t do, in order to have the things others won’t have”.
So how well are you doing with your resolutions? Are you moving forward with your goals? Are you moving forward in positive direction towards where you want to be? And if you are not, what are you going to do in order to fix that? What are you willing to do? And who are you wanting to become?
New York City Triathlon 2011
PS. I am raising funds for worth while cause called Team For Kids. I would love if you would consider making a donation towards the cause.
