Was anyone else so ready to say goodbye to 2019? If not, then I suggest you stop reading, because I was like “BYE FELICIA, see you never!” As I have preached before, I am not really big on the whole notion of “a new year, a new me.” Nope. It is still the same you, but different date, combined with a scratch-out every time you write 2019. But with that being said, I don’t want to knock anyone for using 2020 as a reason to start new habits or, break old ones. If there is one thing I will “suggest” it is that if you are planning to tackle several items as soon as the clock strikes 12:00am, start off small. The old saying certainly applies when bringing in the New Year. Life is not a sprint, but a marathon. 

Gyms have to LOVE the New Year. This time of year is like Black Friday for them, except every single day. I’ve noticed stores like Marshalls or Target, purposely moving their “work out attire” to the front of the store. You can find everything from leggings, sports bras, hand weights, yoga mats, water bottles and even supplements and protein powder. Grocery stores feed into it too, literally, by moving the healthier items to the front of the store or offering samples of the latest juicing cleanse. The typical New Year’s resolutions are always to lose weight, get back in shape, and strive towards the beach body, or however else you want to word it.

So here’s the low down on all of that. It is great. I am in full support of taking care of your body. As I have always said to anyone who will listen, you get one body, one mind and one soul. It is important to take care of it, because it is not like a car or a TV. We can’t just go out and “buy” a new one when it breaks or starts acting funny. There are no returns, no warranties and no refunds. Taking care of yourself should be a lifelong goal, not just a 2020 beach body goal. 

I also feel the need to remind you, we live in upstate NY. Where it is currently around 30 degrees, chance of snow, drizzle or whatever else Mother Nature wants to throw at us. And it is depressing, with no green grass, no tropical blue waters, and random glimpses of the sun (wait, why do I live here again?!?)  Confirming that is currently, by no means, beach body season. And, IF we are lucky,  it probably won’t be for another seven months. That means, we don’t need to set New Year’s resolution of hitting the 6AM spin class Monday through Friday and religiously counting every blueberry we put in our mouths. No. Instead it means you have seven months to get yourself to where you feel comfortable in your body and you feel good about yourself. Seven months is a long time and a lot can change in seven months. 

The moment that we push ourselves to quickly adopt a change that is so out of character in our life, whether it be exercising more, eating healthier, or even a change in our morning routine, the quicker we are to resort back to what we know and what feels safe. Where, if we gradually slide into our resolutions, taking one step at a time, we might find that we will actually be further along in three months, than we were in three weeks.

With that being said, and me struggling like normal to get to the point, I want people to stop looking at their New Year’s resolutions as a goal that will be achieved in a week or two weeks, but rather as something that will be achieved somewhere throughout the year. Why is it that we put so much pressure to achieve our New Year’s resolutions right away? I blame it on our culture and the demands for instant results. So when you get frustrated, AND YOU WILL,  that you’re not seeing the weight come off right away or your body feels like it has been hit by a semi, just remember that all good things take time. You want to adopt a new lifestyle, one that stays with you all throughout 2020 and into 2021, 2022, 2023  etc. 

 If your resolution is to lose weight, break an old habit, or just be a better person, just remember we all have to start somewhere, at some time, with some intention.  Peace & Love -AB