It’s five weeks into the New Year. How are you doing with your resolutions? If you’ve stalled on Resolution Road, don’t feel bad. It’s common. There’s been a definite drop-off in attendance at my gym compared to the first week in January. I noticed it last night in spin class—there were actually a few empty bikes.
Another thing I noticed in spin class: What our instructor, Rachel, was saying to keep us motivated on our ride could be turned into positive motivation for keeping resolutions too. Not just those related to health and fitness, either. These sayings can help with staying positive about (and eventually achieving) any personal change you’re striving for.
It’s not the strength of your legs, it’s the strength of your mind.
Remind yourself: I might not have the skills yet, but I have the will. You’re doing something new, something different from what you’ve always done. Chances are, you’re not going to be good at it right off the bat. What matters is that you keep at it. Strengthen your will, and you’ll strengthen your skills.
Doubt is a good thing. It means you’re pushing yourself.
You don’t have to be 100 percent confident that you’ll achieve your goal. In fact, if you are, that probably means you set the bar too low and you should aim higher. Speaking of pushing yourself …
What would happen if you cranked it up a notch? Try it and see!
Boredom knocks resolutions off track. Keep challenging yourself—you’re stronger than you think. Stretch beyond what you did the week or the day before. That’s the way you grow.
If you didn’t make it through the last sprint, that’s OK. Work harder on the next.
So you skipped your devotional reading today or cheated on your diet or zoned out instead of listening. Don’t let a slip-up make you give up on your goal entirely. If your resolution has stalled, restart it. Take a look at the progress you’ve made and make note of what you still have to work on (if you know your trouble spots, you can figure out ways to combat them). Then get right back to it.
Just focus and go.
Too tired, too busy, too weak, too stressed … forget all the excuses. Just focus your mind on your goal and take one step toward it. Then another. And another. That’s how you’ll get where you want to go.
