Happy New Fitness Year

Hi

A Happy New Year to all. 

This time of year is the time for many to embark on a push in the right direction for health and well-being. So I am compelled to write some New Years resolution tips but that seems so cliche. I will simply encourage you with a scientifically proven psychological nugget that enables the most significant lifetime results.

The overall way to create a successful behaviour change model for yourself.

There are two factors that affect behaviour change:

• Restraining forces
• Driving forces

If you want to achieve change in behaviour the way to do it is to diminish the restraining forces.

Remove the barriers to better behaviour

We all have a natural momentum as deep down below we do actually want to be healthful throughout life and to die instantly at a ripe old age without issue. Well most of us do.

An example that is common is the surge in gym membership at this time of year. It's an example of using a driving force to change behaviour that has a limited positive effect on those who utilise it. I don't know of a single person who needs a gym membership to make improvements in health and fitness. Of course there might be those who have limitations in knowledge for which exercises to do and seek a professional programme, or those who wouldn't exercise outdoors throughout winter, or wouldn't exercise on their own and seek a group course etc. For these groups this intervention might be a positive one as it's removing a restraining force.

Human psychology will though over time create a number of hurdles due to one factor; 

Human beings consistently make decisions that undermine their own long-term well-being - That's a fact. The things that we do in-line with this will change over our lifetime for different reasons such as: mental development, education, health challenges etc, but generally this holds true.

Q. Why? 

Ans. Instant GRATIFICATION.

It's the way we're wired. Gratification is instant and that's a lot more appealing to us seeing as we are guided in our decision making by our hormones. Unless of course the greatest appeal and gratification comes from a deeper seated longer-term vision for a particular outcome that is more important.

So here's the key to overcoming instant gratification.

• Develop a vision for your long-term future
• Make a path towards it that is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time oriented)
• Make small changes on occasion over a long time so that they may become habitual 

The next step for you, with this knowledge is to #GETEXCITED for the future as you want it.

For happiness and healthfulness