With the New Year approaching (thank you LAWWWD 2020 is ending) - let's talk goals.
As you enter 2021 with high hopes, your success will be based on the goals you set and your ability to accomplish them. But here's the thing: goals CHANGE. It's likely most of the initial goals set for New Year's Resolutions will revolve around better eating, more exercise and less drinking; this is because it's a goal for right now - a time after indulgences, celebrations, and the flexibility of yoga pants. It's normal to want to "get back on track" when you may not be feeling your best, but you are also not going to feel your worst for the rest of the year. This is why telling yourself that it's a realistic goal to eat all the kale (gross) and run all the miles for the entire year is setting yourself up for failure. This is where flexibility within your goal is needed.
Now, that's not to say that once you set a goal, you get to break it often and say FUCK YEAH I'M BEING FLEXIBLE WHERE'S THE CHEESECAKE BABY!? But more so to recognize when a goal has run it's course and is time to rework it. If you're feeling a little fluffy after the holiday season and you'd like to move your body in a way that feels good and eat in a way that's nourishing - do it. But, whenever you feel like that goal has been met, tweak it. Maybe after a week of salads, yoga and water you're feeling renewed, and recognize that it's time to move on. Use your motivation from the holiday goodies as a jump start, rather than something long term.
Change your food and fitness goals as you see fit. Restricting may work for a short time to get you back on track, but it's not realistic (or healthy) to keep up. Over exercising may feel like it gets you back in the routine of things, but will ultimately lead to injury and is freaking time consuming. The more you are flexible with your goals, the more control you will have over your success; and let's be real - it's the control we're after in the first place. We want to feel in control of our choices, and flexibility allows for just that.
Flexibility within your goals allows one to naturally lead to the next. After that week of salads you may feel better but you're absolutely starving, so you want to keep up the good foods but eat more. Maybe your goal changes from wanting to feel better to wanting to eat better. And, once you intuitively eat better based on what feels good for you, indulging here and there can be guilt free. You may set a body-goal to be more flexible. That flexibility may lead to a more comfortable stride when walking or running, or increased range of motion when lifting, and naturally motivate you towards your next goal.
You may set a goal for yourself early on that really just isn't working for you, and it's okay to change it in a way that makes it doable. Goals that change will keep you going throughout the year, instead of those first few months. It'll keep you motivated, keep things fresh, and puts you in control of what is best for you, your body, and your health. Changing a goal is not failure, it's flexibility. As long as you are working towards your ultimate goal, make the changes needed along the way in order to succeed. Make 2021 the year that you don't let yourself down. The year that you don't compare to others. The year you do what's best for you based on where you're at, not where you want to be. Define what healthy looks like for yourself, whether it's incorporating more protein or spending more time with friends - you have the ability if you set (and re-set) the goal.
