I love the fall. As the weather starts to change and excitement builds in anticipation of the upcoming holidays I find that it is also a time of reflection. A time to look back at the last ten months, to think about the goals that I set at the beginning of the year and make an honest assessment of the progress that I’ve made. I inevitably find that somehow life has gotten in the way and I haven’t quite achieved all that I had hoped to accomplish. However, it’s also a time of hope as I become acutely aware that I have two more months to get things back on track and end the year with a bang.
Instead of waiting for January 1st to make New Year’s resolutions, I’m setting some concrete goals now with the intention of making small, consistent changes that hopefully will lead to the creation of habits and major long-term success.
1. Consistent morning workouts – I’ve downloaded the Jamie Eason “LiveFit” program from http://www.Bodybuilding.com. It’s a 12-week program that runs in three phases, each phase increasing intensity. I finished the first phase earlier this year, and then ended up letting life get in the way and didn’t finish it. My solution this time is to complete the workouts first thing in the morning before work. This will help to ensure that nothing else gets in the way, and will set me up for success with the right mindset for the rest of the day. I’ll be starting the program from the beginning this Tuesday morning.
2. Eat like I give a shit – I’m a self-admitted fast-food addict, and I know that there is no way I can live a healthy life while the majority of my meals come out a window wrapped in paper. My goal is to start making the majority of my meals at home and to incorporate a great deal more vegetables, whole grains, and superfoods. I’ve downloaded tons of recipes that sound wonderful to me and plan to make at least one per week. I’ll also make it a point to visit farmer’s markets and try to use fresh and minimally processed ingredients whenever possible.
3. Find my inner peace – I had previously attempted a daily yoga challenge, and although I didn’t complete it for the full 365 days, the time that I did do it changed my life. Once I stopped, it took me a long time to realize that without yoga I become unbalanced and frazzled. I love the peace that a consistent practice brings to me and I need it back in my life. I’m committing to attending classes on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, and may add others as my journey progresses.
There are many other things that I’m doing that will support my goals, but these are the primary ones to which I’m giving 100% commitment. I’ll post regularly to track my progress along the way – primarily to keep myself accountable, and possibly to inspire others to take the actions necessary to bring them closer to their vision of a fulfilling life. I’m sure that there will be good days and bad days, and a lot of days that I simply feel like giving up. I know that the path to success is never a straight line, so I’ll do my best to see the good in each day and enjoy the journey. I’m so excited to begin. Thanks for following and sharing this journey with me.
My Fit Journey 2.0 