I’ve just come and sat down in a comfy chair in my local Starbucks and got a peppermint tea, after a morning of studying I’ve hit a mental energy lull and decide to sit and allow something inspired to come through but before I do that I figure I need some dark chocolate for brain fuel, so I go up to the counter to purchase a small bar and have a short ‘Happy New Year’ conversation with the girl behind the checkout.
She asks me…
‘So have you got any new year’s resolutions?’
…to which I reply…
‘no, I have goals but not resolutions.’
…and then I go inside and ask myself a quick question…
[why is that?]
To which I follow up my initial answer with…
‘I find resolutions restrictive and goals expansive!’
…and then as I’m walking away let her know that she’s just inspired my next piece of writing.
Inspiration always comes if you give it time and space to drop into.
Now there maybe a case for a bit of each in your life but as we tend to overcomplicate and create too many goals or resolutions in the first place, and then fail to meet them or complete them. I think it’s a much more beneficial approach to go for the one that has a more positive intention to it.
Let’s look at their meanings first…
Resolution — ‘a firm decision to do or not to do something.’
Generally I feel we make resolutions because there is a part of ourselves, our character and or behaviour that we are trying to move away from, through the analysis and observation of the previous year / years we’ve seen that said habit or behaviour is impacting our lives in a negative way, so we put all our effort into getting rid of it, destroying it, burning it to the ground and we all know what generally happens when we supress urges and behaviours in an unhealthy way or try to eliminate them without healthy alternatives in place.
They wait in the shadows and remerge when we are weak and vulnerable, planting themselves back in our lives once again for the rest of the year, until the following January comes once again.
Goal — ‘the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.’
Goals on the other hand give us positive targets and outcomes to aim for, not only that but they are measurable, which provides us with valuable data and analysis when we need it most, during the times when we feel progress has halted or we have become bored and lost focus.
If we are able to reflect on the effort we’ve been making and its corelation to the positive outcomes we are seeing and feeling in our lives, then we have a renewed sense of motivation and inspiration to move forward into the next phase whilst continuing with the course of action.
There is no doubt that consistency and commitment are the pre-requisites to achieve anything in life, especially when it comes to physical improvements.
I’ve been saying this for years as a personal trainer to my clients and to my own self but creating goals that can be measured at regular intervals provide the fuel to the engine of Consistency and Commitment.
I hope that these words have landed at the perfect time for you as you reflect on your life moving into the new year.
Whether you like it or not this is a powerful time of year with a huge amount of creative potential if we can wield it in a useful way.
So, as you sit down and think about what you want and don’t want in your life, ask yourself…
‘Am I creating from memory and past experience or from a fresh, new and inspired place?’
Trust that you are a powerful creator, with infinite potential, if you choose it and go after it then with patience and persistence you will manifest it into physical reality.
…and so, it is.
Writing this piece has brought back memories of how diligently I planned and predicted my progress in 2013 as I was preparing to take part in the WBFF Denmark show.
(because I’m a geek and I love this shit)
With the use of some simple formulas, I was able to predict what weight and bodyfat percentage I would be on the day of the show based on my starting weight and bodyfat percentage, and the daily calorie intake I would need to get there. Then all I had to do was eat the meals and do the training.
Once you have a plan it’s that simple, you just need to follow it consistently with commitment, trust the numbers and apply the science.
This is really all manifestation is if we demystify it…
Plan, Take Action and Create.
For all my Online and 1-2-1 Personal Training clients I have a great coaching app that allows us to collect data and measure your progress, depending on your goals. We can track a food diary, progress photos, physical measurements, and meal adherence, which takes a less restrictive broader overview at percentages of dietary compliance.
If you’d like to book a call with me to see how we could work together this year getting results and achieving your goals just click on the image below.
Set your goals, track your progress, follow your workouts, refer to your nutrition plan and stay in touch with me your Pocket PT whilst on the move to keep you accountable, wherever you are.
