I have a picture in my head of a few loyal readers standing atop a very big hill. It’s the hill you climbed throughout 2013, following my step by step ideas on how to gradually make changes month by month for a new and healthier you. (New readers, archive January 2013 article and start your climb). If you did follow the suggestions I made, congratulations. I hope you were successful. If so, you’re probably waiting for the next move.
If you remained consistent, you should be atop that hill gazing down and seeing smaller hills up ahead. They represent the bumps you’ll encounter throughout the next year’s journey.
The slide down the hill for some of you represent a well deserved easy glide down, that will simply propel you onto your next challenge, onto and over those hills. For others, it represents the fall you’re about to take for losing control of yourself through the holidays more than you had planned.
No need to mention those who failed to follow any plan. They’re not even on the hill with you.
People who have been successful, no matter how big or small the success, will find motivation to continue ahead. Since 2013, after making ourselves aware of our physical and dietary weaknesses, we were able to increase our activity consistently by walking at least 30 minutes for three or more days a week. We dropped, and don’t even miss (ok maybe some we do…) several nasty vices like over-snacking on bad foods and smoking. We are engaging in several days of resistance training and not only look better, but we feel better and are stronger.
Spring and summer were fun. We entered some local 5k races or walks and had the opportunity to raise some money while having company during our exercising. We may have made some new friends along the way….or walked even further for those we lost.
We actually started liking our view in the mirror when trying on new clothes. Some of us had our blood work checked and saw improvements in our cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Then along came the holidays. So what are we going to do in 2014? Continue ahead, either coasting through new challenges since what we thought was impossible before suddenly seems possible now, or climbing back up a little harder. That’s what.
Win a medal in that 5k, enroll in a more challenging fitness program, join a team, try a mini triathlon. And since it’s so much easier to work out and find motivation when watching others, tune into the Olympics and find yours.
