Did you know what January 19this?
It’s a weird question right? Well let me give you a hint. All those people who made New Year’s Resolutions, well this is the day that most of them will give up. The 19this National Quitters Day. Here’s Runners World’s Story on it.
As someone who has been a regular at one gym or another for the last 10 years there are some things that you notice. When the calendar flips to January 1, you are almost guaranteed to see a swell in the number of people who are working out. You have to be happy that people are trying to get healthy but deep down, you might feel that the extra traffic makes your routine challenging. Most regulars relish the third week of January because that’s when people start falling off the motivation/workout bandwagon and things go back to normal.
So how do you keep from falling off the motivation cliff?
That is the $70,000,000 question. It’s hard, there’s no way to sugar coat it. If you are willing to put in the work, the reward can be spectacular. So how do you increase your odds of success? Well part of the reason that Quitters day is the 19this because it takes 21 days for something to become habit. Habit can be a very powerful tool in building a healthy routine. When you don’t have to think about something and just do it, then dragging yourself out of bed at 445am becomes just something you do (this is just one example). If the Quitters could have just hung on a little bit longer, they might have been able to forge that routine that would have carried them to the finish line.
My Tips
There are lots of ways to build habits. There are books, podcasts, YouTube videos and a stream of lecturers who build their followings and fortunes everywhere. With a little digging there is information, but to start you off, here are my two cents:
- Schedule the Time
- Make it Consistent (same time and/or days)
- Know what you are going to work on (Legs, Arms, HiiT, Cardio…)
- Schedule Mobility/Rest/Recovery
- Protein Shake (at least) once a day
- 2L of water a day
- TRY to get 7 hours (or more)
And most importantly, IF something happens (life event, gala with the Maple Leafs, tickets to the Superbowl) and you miss a day, don’t beat yourself up. Try to make smart choices, shake off the miss and get ready for the new day (unless you can squeeze a session in during the evening of event day).
With the 19thquickly approaching, keep your chin up and keep working hard. Take each day as they come and do your best. The journey to fitness and health is not a straight one and it’s certainly not flat. There will be peaks and valleys along the way. Just. Don’t. Quit.
Beez
