Thinking ahead while looking back

Happy New Year, folks!

Thanks for sticking around, despite the sporadic posts and my occasional need to step up on my soapbox ;) I really appreciate you.

I read an interesting little factoid last night: gym memberships increase by an average of 12% every. single. January. Based on the amount of new faces I've seen popping up in the gym, I would have guessed that the percentage is even higher, but 12% is significant. This statistic demonstrates that of all the New Years' resolutions to be made, the one to get healthier and/or lose weight is and probably always will be the most popular. And why shouldn't it be? After a month of pigging out on holiday treats, it's easy to say, "OK! This year is it! The year I vow to get healthy!" What's not easy is sticking to it.

While I'm not here to lecture you all on how to keep your New Year's resolutions, and I don't even know the statistics of what percentage of people keep their "get healthy" New Years' resolutions, I do have a theory. Could it be that the reason people fall off the healthy bandwagon is because there is too much focus on how you're going to change and improve yourself in the year ahead, as opposed to looking back and taking inventory of what happened in the past year to get you to this point? Doesn't all the hype surrounding resolutions encourage us to look at how much better we can be instead of how great we already are? I think one reason why so many of us fail to maintain our resolutions is because we are conditioned to feel defective if we struggle to change our habits the first of January, pathetic and hopeless if we don't have the will power to turn over a new leaf as easily as we turn the page on the calendar.


This year, I challenge us to do the following: instead of focusing all our attention on what we hope to accomplish in 2013, let's take some time to appreciate how far we've come in the year that just passed.  I've learned over the years that our past begets our future, so it's especially important to look back at the past year's successes, failures, ups, downs, disappointments, accomplishments, etc. to best inform our goals for the coming year.

Remember that time in 2012 when you crossed the finish line of your first half marathon? Remember how elated you felt? Look back and capture that feeling and use it to get you through those long runs that you just can't imagine you ever completed. You DID complete them, just a few months ago, so use that to motivate you now. Use it to hit a new PR. Use it to propel you through those strength conditioning workouts. Use it to inspire your running buddies that might need that extra push, as well. Instead of harboring ill will towards that you that you were last year, realize that you're still that you, but with days, weeks, and months worth of experience. That experience has value--so spend it widely and wisely in 2013!

Best wishes for a fulfilling and affirming New Year!
Hilary