Tips for New Year's Resolutions:

            I'm going to start this rant out with what is called the sandwich technique-Say something positive "Happy New Year", followed by something negative "I've got bad news, new year's resolutions rarely work" followed by something positive "I've also got good news, If you are realistic, you can follow through with your resolutions".  Get it, it's like the bread is the positive stuff and the meat is negative!  To be fair to sandwiches, the meat isn't really negative (unless it's bacon and hotdog meat); otherwise you just have two pieces of bread. 

            Enough about sandwiches.  Every year I get an influx of people starting up with gym memberships and training packages so they can reach their goals of dropping the extra ten pounds of uncooked doughnut batter that has accumulated around their waists and butts over the Christmas holidays.  We have all made resolutions, some very small, some drastic, but the common bond no matter how big the goal is we tend to overdo it.   I am going to touch on some tips for goal setting that can be used for any resolution(s) you may have chosen.  I am taking these steps from information that I would use with any of my athletes as I believe that there is a very strong crossover. 

            There are 3 essential types of goals:

I will touch on the 3 types of goals, give examples of each and let you make your own decisions from there.

• 1.

Outcome goals focus on the results of the activity and involve a sense of success or failure, in this context very few ultimately succeed.  You must be careful not to focus too much on the outcome as we do not have complete control over it (i.e. weather conditions, work or family commitments, Chuckee Cheese has a onetime all you can eat buffet etc).  It can undermine our sense of confidence and belief in our abilities.  We can only train to the best of our ability which may not always produce the desired result.

Outcome goals tend to be what most New Year's resolutions are made of.  Keep in mind, I am adapting this from sport performance and I am being fairly surly.  

• "I'm going to go the gym 7 times a week and lose 50 pounds by June."
• "I'm going to enter in a triathlon and finish in the top 20, even though I can't swim".
• "I'm never drinking again after I chundered chick peas on my girlfriends new leather jacket."
• "I'm going to do 300 sit ups a day so I can get a six pack."

In general, I find outcome goals set you up for failure.  They are not always a bad thing, but when we are gung ho about setting a goal and we don't achieve it, there tends to be a meltdown that is attached with eating a tub of Cherry Garcia ice cream.  This is why most restrictive diets don't work.  Either you lose the weight and make your goal and think that one extra beer or bag of cheetos won't hurt, or you don't get the desired result and say "screw it, I worked this hard to lose 3 pounds" and don't care if you have ten more beers and 5 bags of cheetos.

Performance Goals relate to "how we train" and include the technical, physical and psychological aspects.  The importance of these goals is that they are under our control and are independent of the outcome. 

            Performance goals are a more realistic approach and tie in with the next goal type.

• "I'm going to the gym at least 3 times per week and am going to walk to work at least once a week. I am going to cut back 1-200 calories a day and try to lose 2-3 pounds per month."
• "I am going to learn how to swim and sign up for a gym membership and find out about triathlon sprints and hope to compete in at least one this year."
• "I'm not going to power drink 20 beers every weekend while eating hummus, but I will have a few if I can control it, or maybe consider switching to light beer or a lower calorie spirit. I may even consider cutting back my alcohol consumption each day and on weekends where I tend to overdo it"
• "I'm going to do a mix of strength training and cardio so I can increase my life expectancy and learn why doing 300 sit ups a day will only make my hip flexors tight and low back sore."

Process Goals relate to how we prepare to perform.  These goals can be under our control (sleep, nutrition, equipment, training behaviour, travel etc.). 

Process Goals coupled with performance goals are your best bet to meeting a new year's resolution in my opinion.  They are both realistic and attainable and don't set you up for failure.

• "I'm going to meet a training partner at the gym Mon, Wed and Fri at 6pm and am going to prepare my meal plan every Sunday and Wednesday for the entire week. I will try to calculate my daily calorie intake on one of the many calorie counters I can find on the web.
• "I am going to sign up for swimming classes and look into hiring a Level 10 Fitness personal trainer or strength coach to help me periodize my training plan for one of the triathlon sprints I have researched."
• "I'm going to sign up for AA."
• "I'm going to watch my diet, exercise as much as possible including strength/resistance work and cardio and come to the realization that a 6 pack is mainly genetic and that my body fat % must be less than 12%."

Here are a few ideas to help you achieve your 2010 New Year's Resolutions:

• 1. Start small and think big. When I'm helping clients or athletes with goal setting I believe it is important to start with very attainable goals. It gives us a sense of self worth and pride as we have achieved something (regardless of size of goal).
• 2. Set goals and set them often. After taking step one, we reset a new goal, once it is achieved continue the pattern.
• 3. Try to find someone that is interested in setting the same or similar goal. By having a partner you will find motivation, healthy competition and someone that will hold you accountable for your actions. Be careful not to force your goals on others! Remember you are doing this for you and these goals must be intrinsically motivating.
• 4. Don't be afraid to fail. We learn our biggest life lessons from our failures. Learn from past mistakes, correct them and move on with the realization that you can't change the past....unless you have a time machine.
• 5. Be positive. We all feel like crap sometimes, but the power of the mind is much more than that of the body. When you fall off (which you most likely will at some point), refocus and move forward and put in the past.
• 6. Keep a journal. For most of us, this seems cheesy, but the fact is it is a great way to unwind before bed and can be used as a great reflection tool when and if things become stagnant. Make notes of when you felt great or not so great and try to recreate the good moments based off what you were feeling at the time of your journal entry.

My final thoughts:

            Goal setting and resolutions are not for everyone, but if you are one of the millions that embark on these journeys-try a few of the steps I mentioned.  I don't have a problem with starting the New Year with new goals so long as you are realistic and patient.  Success when starting and finishing a resolution comes from an internal motivation that can't be forced onto you.  You must decide what you want to do first, and then take the appropriate steps to follow through with it.  Start small and work your way up to bigger goals with the thought process that this is actually a lifestyle change, not a get into my Speedos for my trip to Hawaii in 3 months goal.  Have fun with it, be creative and if you fall off, get back on as soon as possible and you will reap the rewards....at some point!   I am going to leave you with some of my favourite Homer Simpson Quotes with regards to trying and failure.  Don't forget you need to laugh once in a while to.  As always, if you would like to comment or have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me at joe@level10fitness.ca.

"Trying is the first step towards failure."

"If you really want something in life you have to work for it. Now quiet, they're about to announce the lottery numbers."

"Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try."

"Phfft! Facts. You can't use them to prove anything."

"You can't keep blaming yourself. Just blame yourself once, and move on."

                                                -Homer Simpson

Yours in Strength,

Joe McCullum