Don’t Resolve, Evolve

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January 21, 2013 by mybattlebuddyfitness

Don’t Resolve, Evolve!

Written by Melissa Eisner

Even though I should know better by now, like everyone else, I made this wonderful list of resolutions that I was going to start on January 1st, 2013. No more sweets, only drinking one day a week, going to the gym 6 days a week, registering for a bunch of races, getting back to being vegan . . . a nice long list of lofty goals. I felt like, come on, you are disciplined, and you have been so good about all of these things the past year, let’s make them OFFICIAL resolutions for the New Year.

And then I got super sick on New Year’s Eve, that super bug that everyone and their dog seemed to come down with. So right out of the gate, I was down for 3 days. No exercise, hard to keep with my food resolutions (chicken noodle soup is pretty much a staple in my house when I am not feeling well). Right after that, I left for a month for Ft. Leonard Wood, MO to get things settled for My Battle Buddy Fitness. And then there was a birthday celebration, so I fell down on the vegan, and the exercise, and the alcohol resolutions.

So I was left feeling like, man, I messed up keeping my New Year’s Resolutions already, maybe I should just give up. I mean, I blew it anyway, no more sense in trying. And I think we all end up feeling like that, if we mess up just once on our resolutions, there is no point in trying so why bother. Which is the problem with making resolutions, we expect that overnight we are going to wake up and be totally changed people. There is nothing particularly magical about the 1st of January, there is no fairy that travels the globe that gives us the strength to follow thru on the things we want to do differently in the New Year. And no one can be perfect, ever. We will always have our stumbling points, and we will likely fall short on any given day from doing things exactly as we planned.

I have been reading a fascinating book called The Power of Habit. It is a great read and I suggest it to anyone who is looking to make long-lasting changes in their life. The author examines “. . . why some people struggle to change, despite years of trying, while others seem to remake themselves overnight.” He goes on to show the reader that people who are successful in long term change have achieved it by transforming habits, by focusing on changing the patterns that are part of our everyday lives.

So what the heck does all of this have to do with healthy lifestyles, fitness, and wellness?

If you are reading this today and feel like you have failed on your resolutions, don’t give up. Don’t quit just because you have faltered. Don’t resolve, evolve! Resolutions are a point in time, things we expect to change overnight. That is a lot of pressure for anyone. Evolution is all about growth, going from point A to point B. It is a journey. Sometimes we get lost, but if we know where we are trying to go, the next stage in our evolution, we will find the path forward. Look at changing your everyday patterns in order to help you evolve. If you want to change the way you eat, then substitute just one thing in your diet today. Go for grapes instead of a sugary snack, or reach for water instead of soda. Change one pattern, and soon you’ll find you can change others.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t have goals. We all need goals. They help us to know what to change, they are the light at the end of the tunnel, the destination we are striving for. Just don’t try to do everything at once. Look to change slowly over time, and eventually you will get there. You know how to eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Go for your goals, one bite at a time.