How Are Those 2018 Resolutions Coming?

Less than 30 days ago, you were taking stock of your life and your fitness goals and like millions of people around the world, you stated that 2018 was going to be your year.  You were going to lose the weight you've been meaning to lose for the last year or more.  You were going to get in better shape this year.  Who knows, maybe you made a New Years resolution to start BJJ and begin your journey to black belt.  Whatever the goal or resolution was, we are now well into 2018 with January nearly over and BJJ Fanatics thought it might be a good time to check in.  Whether you're on track and heading in the right direction or not, it's always important to check in now and again to take stock of what's working and what can be improved upon.

If your diet is on point and the lbs are falling off, then this article is not for you.  If you're consistently making your gym or training sessions, then you might want to check out another piece from BJJ Fanatics or go back to shopping for your next BJJ instructional.  But if you're like the 92% of people that studies have shown do not reach their New Years goals or follow through on their resolutions, then this is the piece for you.

With January almost over, you've still got over 92% of the year left to work on your goals.  Let's focus on weight loss and getting in better shape, as that is one of the more common goals.  What are some ways, you can get back on track and still find yourself at the finish line in 2018, having achieved your resolution?  Take a look at these suggestions and by making a few small changes, you can completely turn around 2018 and make this the year you make it to the finish line.

Don't call it a resolution

What's in a name?  A rose by any other name, kinda thing from Shakespeare showed us that maybe names weren't really as significant as we might think and in this case might actually impact our approach to the outcome we seek.  If I've never been able to achieve a resolution in my life, how does it help me to set another series of resolutions this year?  I'm almost pre-programmed to fail, destined to not meet that desired outcome, because that's just how my pattern of setting resolutions and giving up on them year after year.  Why not break that cycle and not worry about what to call them.  Don't think of them as resolutions, take the pressure off yourself and think of them as healthy habits you can start at any time.  Late January is as good as any time.

Make sure your destination is realistic

Setting the goal to be a BJJ World Champion in my first year is unrealistic, but setting the goal to achieve my next color belt within the next year is far more doable.  No matter how pumped up we think we are, deep down, our subconscious has the innate ability to recognize incredibly ridiculous goals.  You will find yourself struggling and finding ways to undermine your achievement faster than you will make progress.

So setting a goal of trying to lose 100 or more lbs in the next 90 days is going to severely hamper your ability to meet that goal.  It's simply not realistic and worse, it's not healthy.  Even if you were able to meet such a crazy goal, your health could be dramatically and permanently impacted by the changes that you'd have to undergo to meet this goal.

Seek out more resources

What are the resources you are utilizing to help support you to get the job done?  If you are working to lose weight and get into better shape, hopefully you've done some research or if you're lucky to have some people in your life who can help you by sharing nutritional approaches and maybe going to the gym with you.  If you don't have anyone to help you in your life, you are not out of luck, see out resources like books or perhaps online or DVD resources like Tom DeBlass' "12 Weeks to Ripped Program" or Ethan Benda's "Diamond Protocol" workout program.  Either one of these, or even better BOTH, will get you where you want to go fast!

You can never have too many supporters.  From your family, to your coaches, friends and fellow dieters, you must surround yourself with positive people that can share in your experience, supporting you and guiding you when needed.

Write it down

 The simple act of writing down our goals has a strong psychological benefit in that the physical act seems to ingrain the idea much deeper than simply verbalizing it.  It has been said that less than 3% of the population actually writes down their goals.  By putting things down on paper, it's much easier to stand back from those goals and begin to put an action plan together.

It has even been shown to be helpful to write down your goals and action plans daily to help ingrain them into our minds and subconsciousness.  Motivational speakers like Brian Tracy have long touted the benefits of the daily repetition of your goals helping to shape your actions and keep things in both the forefront and the deepest recesses of your mind, so that all levels of your psyche are constantly seeking that destination you have set forth.

Take daily action

Once you've put your goal down on paper, it's time to figure out what things can you do right now and daily to move yourself towards that goal.  Think of everything you do as either moving you towards or away from your goal.  If you own every action and run it through that simple test, you will be more likely to avoid actions and habits that are not moving you towards your weight loss or fitness goals.  And with practice, this process will become more and more automatic.

Any action, no matter how small, is always better than no action.  Too many times, we are crippled trying to figure out the best way to approach a challenge, instead of simply jumping in and moving forward to attack the obstacle and overcome.  Paralysis by analysis is a real thing in both jiu jitsu and in our diet and fitness plans.  There really is no perfect diet.  The best diet is the one that can become a lifestyle and that allows us to feel satiated while giving us the best balance of nutrients, so that we never feel hungry.  Any approach that leaves you constantly hungry and feeling deprived is destined to fail in the long term.  So even the tiniest step is still a step towards a better you.

 The bottom line is there is no time like NOW to get yourself back on track.  If you're one of those people who signed up for a new gym membership on January 1 and by the end of January, your workout clothes are collecting dust, shake them off and get yourself back there.  You still have plenty of time.  It's also good to take a look at your approach and make sure that things are working as well as they can be for you.

No matter how your 2018 resolutions and goals are currently going, there is still time to right the ship and get yourself back on track.  With Tom DeBlass' best-selling fitness and diet program, you are a mere 12 weeks away from being in the best shape you've been in for a very long time.  In this package you get his entire diet and fitness program to make sure you're ready for that BJJ competition or just the summer beach season.  Check it out here!