The New Year is here and I realize that I have failed miserably in one of the two New Year Resolutions I made last year, which was to exercise for 20 minutes 5 times per week.
Nothing strenuous, just going for a walk for 20 minutes or on stepping on the treadmill which is 7 feet away from my bed.
Mind you, I achieved the goal probably 20 out of the 52 weeks, especially in May/June and September/October when it is particularly pleasant to walk on the promenade not far from my house (see picture below).
The problem is that I have never built the HABIT. And that got me thinking. A goal is temporary. You set a reasonable target, attach it to a measure and frame it in time. Well, mine was not really framed in time because 5 times per week was the measure, it was implicit that it would be throughout the whole year. What about the emotional attachment to the result? Was it there? I’m not overweight, and I felt OK physically, so ‘getting healthier’ although it was a strong motivation for me did not do the trick.
Work got in the way, travelling got in the way, inertia got in the way! After 52 weeks glued to my computer (although 6 of them were in the US in different cities) I realized that my clothes had shrunk, my back ached and my suppleness had taken a dive.
I take full responsibility for my failure… or better said my ‘learning experience’. It won’t be a failure but a mere set back if I do it this year, right?
I know that using the same technique at last year won’t work (it didn’t before), so motivation is not enough!
I reflected upon the issue and I decided to create the HABIT of walking 20 minutes per day. After all, if I were to set a goal with a timeframe ‘for life’ it would scare me to death!
To implement the habit I need a supporting STRUCTURE.
First: a trigger – something I already do – have lunch, for instance. I’ll have a walk after lunch before I dive into obliviousness.
Second: a Plan B – if I am with a customer, or some something gets in the way, I will do 20 minutes on the treadmill before dinner.
Third: an accountability partner – my husband Ray (I know what he was my accountability partner last year but, after all, I failed him – or so I choose to think).
Fourth: records – I’ll draw a flower next to the date in my diary – keep it simple, there is no point in wasting time complicating it.
Fifth: reward – positive and negative. If I fail, 5 more minutes the following day. After the first 30 consecutive days with 0 compliance failure I’ll book a romantic weekend getaway for Ray and me (who else?).
I am confident that after that momentum will take over and I’ll feel much better, more energized and my clothes will go back to their right size.
