Setting Your Intentions For 2022

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Typically, at the end of a calendar year, people will look back at the previous year and assess the highs and lows, the accomplishments they’ve achieved and the things they wanted to do, but never got around to. Generally, we’ll examine aspects of our lives that we’d like to do better next year and establish resolutions for making those changes. For many it might be weight loss, starting an exercise program, quitting smoking, healthy eating, reducing alcohol consumption, climbing the corporate ladder, or spending more time with your kids.

At this time of year, many of us get motivated to pursue our dreams for the life we want to live.  

The problem is that 80% of people set the same New Year’s Resolutions year after year and within a few months, most have thrown in the towel on their original ambitions.

With that kind of failure rate, it’s not a problem with the person, but rather the process.

I’ve been in the fitness industry helping people look and feel their best and live life to the fullest for over 32 years. I can tell you this, most people set themselves up for failure before the clock even strikes midnight!

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Have you ever wondered why you can’t fulfill your resolutions?

Most people don’t do any planning.

They haven’t set up any accountability

They haven’t restructured their life to make success easier

They have no idea how to monitor their progress.

With that said, we are still in the midst of this pandemic, so the uncertainty of the future makes it difficult to make any plans. We must be prepared to be flexible, resilient and develop coping skills to manage disappointment. Your chances for success will improve dramatically, however, if you break the process into a few simple steps.

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Simple Steps to Success:

Manifest Highlights

Ask yourself what the highlights of 2021 were and then set the intention to do more of those things.

Be very clear with your goals for all aspects of your life…physically, professionally, mentally, socially, travel, and relationships.

Write your intentions on a sheet of paper or create a vision board. The brain processes things differently when it’s written down. When you read it, it becomes more realistic. 

Establish Accountability

We know that most struggle with achieving their resolutions so increase your commitment by establishing accountability. Relying on your own will power can lead to inconsistencies.

Try…..

Hiring a trainer

Joining a running or biking club to assure you stick to your workouts

Schedule workout sessions with friends or family

Consulting with a nutritionist

Join Weight Watchers or an online nutrition app

Signing up with a Meal-Prep company to help you stick with your nutrition goals

Investing in a life coach to help you achieve goals in all areas of your life

 A relationship coach to help strengthen your relationship.

Making a public statement on social media announcing your intentions so your friends and family can support you through the process. 

Find Your People

Research indicates that we become who we hang with.

If you want to be fit, surround yourself with fit people.

If you want to successful in your career, find a mentor who has already achieved the goals you have set for yourself.

If you want to be happy, surround yourself with happy people.

Other people’s energy, discipline and motivation will rub off. Be very intentional with who you spend your time with. 

Don’t Be Too Zealous

After indulging over the holidays, it’s easy to resolve to never drink alcohol again, never eat junk again or committing to going to the gym every day. This all-or-nothing approach typically doesn’t work.

Instead of focusing on all the foods you can’t eat, instead set goals every day for the foods you need to consume to promote health such as….

“I will eat vegetables at every meal.”

“Today, I’ll drink a full glass of water before each meal”. 

If you’d like to cut down on your alcohol consumption, decide you’ll only drink a glass of wine on Fridays or Saturdays.

If you’d like to commit to healthy nutrition, decide you’ll eat clean 5-6 days per week and allow yourself 1-2 free days each week to enjoy some of your favorite foods.

If you haven’t been working out at all, commit to going to the gym 3x/week and then just moving your body more on the other days. Three days in the gym for most people is more realistic than trying to get there every day. Set yourself up for success!

Set Action-Oriented Goals

Instead of setting weight loss goals, establish your goals to be the behaviors necessary to cause weight loss such as eating more vegetables, drinking 100 ounces of water per day, or getting in 10,000 steps daily. It’s a much more positive focus instead of obsessing over your weight. Ask yourself which actions you can take today that will help create your best you in 22!

Just DO Something

The Law of Diminishing intent states that the longer you wait to do something, the greater the chance that you will never do it.

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You may be motivated after reading this and decide you need to start or stop doing something. Take action right away! It doesn’t matter what it is…do anything that points you in the right direction towards your goals. It might be as simple as purchasing a water bottle, asking a friend to commit to a weekly workout with you, making a call to hire a coach or trainer, or purchasing a new pair of workout shoes. No matter how small the action step is, once you achieve it, it will give you the momentum to take the next action step and the next. One step at a time and you will manifest an incredible year and a beautiful life.

Yours in health & fitness,
Sherri McMillan