My goal for this month was to run a series across all of Bright Star focused on what it takes to start a fitness routine.
As I started planning out my posts for the month, I quickly realized that the recommendations I plan to share in January apply not only to establishing a fitness routine but really any habit or routine you might be interested in. Want to start meditating or practicing the guitar more regularly? Follow along in January for motivation and support!
Ready to get started? Great! Here’s the gameplan:
Week 1: Mental Preparation
Started 12/29
Before you can get started on any new routine, you need to deal with the internal messages that have been stopping you so far. This can be the hardest step for a lot of people. If motivation is the engine that pushes us forward, it won’t get us anywhere if we have an anchor holding us back. Thrust must overcome drag and similarly, motivation must overcome hindrances. We must figure out what’s stopping us and be honest about where we are now.
Links:
What’s Stopping You? YouTube and Blog
Week 2: Setting Realistic Goals
Started 1/5
The aim of any goal is to push us to grow while not breaking us. To stretch to our limit and push that limit just a bit farther each time. Set a goal too high and it will discourage you, too low and it won’t motivate you.
Links:
Set Smarter Goals: Blog and YouTube
Make sure your goal is relevant! Find your WHY!
As always, we need to balance the goal with staying grounded in Mindfulness: Blog
Week 3: Building Routines
Started 1/12
What? January is supposed to be about creating routines and I won’t talk about setting up routines until mid-month‽ Yep. New Years resolutions fail because people don’t put plans behind their resolutions and they don’t deal with the mental hinderances first.
Links:
The best way to build a new habit is to Start Stupid Small
Habits have three key parts: the cue, the reward and the routine. Learning this will allow you to create the positive habits you want. This post will help you learn more, click here.
Routines can be built up as blocks of habits! Building habit blocks: blog and video.
Week 4: When The Going Gets Tough
Started 1/19
I don’t care how disciplined or how dedicated you are, things will get hard at some point. There will be set-backs, failures and backslides. Success isn’t the absence of failure, it’s the proven ability to overcome failure when it arises. And it will arise.
The going will get tough, expect it and prepare for it.
When it does get tough, sometimes you just need to get going and get over it.
But you will reach your goals if you just keep moving forward.
Week 5: Sustain the Gains
Started 1/26
Once you have a nice routine going, it can become easy to get complacent. What uses to seem impossible for you is suddenly mundane. It’s important to keep things fresh and to recognize when it’s time to shake things up.
After you reach the goal and have the weight you wanted or the finishers medal, what happens next? YouTube and Blog
Moderation is required for sustaining over the long run. Balancing times of exertion with times of rest is a path that can be sustained for life; it’s the Yin and Yang of life.
Bright Star 