My First-Ever New Year’s Resolution

Posted on by stilllearning2b

I’m generally not a fan of resolutions – they generally aim too high, lack staying power and lead to feelings of guilt and failure when they inevitably crash and burn.

But this year, I’m ignoring my own advice and I’m committing to a resolution for the New Year.

A resolution inspired by watching my husband over the past few days.

—–

The day after Christmas found us on a plane leaving warm and soggy Atlanta to travel to not-quite-as-warm-but-equally-soggy Baltimore for a few days of football (Go Ravens!), family (his) and crab cakes (all his!).

And my husband loves his crab cakes. On this visit, like every visit to Maryland, he consumed crab for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack. Every bowl of soup was upended to reach every last drop. Each plate that held a precious crab cake was scraped or licked clean. Every last morsel was consumed with passion and purpose.

It was a beautiful thing.

In those moments, he was not concerned with the head-shaking that others may engage in when observing a soup bowl turned into a mug. He didn’t exercise restraint, metering out the bites like little crab crumbs left to mark a trail.

He ate with full-force gusto.

Which is also how he lives.

—–

My resolution for the New Year is to become a plate-licker. Probably not literally, because I rarely see the bottom of a plate, but in attitude. To worry less about restraint and instead, focus more on the pleasure in the moment. To celebrate hedonism in the small things without concern for what others think I should be doing.

And to realize that happiness and joy is not a finite resource that must be parceled out in order to last.

Happy New Year!

In 2015, I presented a challenge – to my readers and to myself – in place of a resolution. How did you do? I’m still working on mine:)

Prove Yourself Wrong

Posted on by stilllearning2b

I’ve never been much of a fan of resolutions. Perhaps it’s because I see the bodies flock to the gym every January only to be back on their respective couches by Valentine’s Day. Or I see the impassioned declarations about eating clean shared publicly on Facebook and I spy a doughnut in the poster’s hand before the month is out. I get it. Change is hard. And in order for change to occur, you have to be ready. And that may not correspond neatly with the dawning of the new year.

Which is why I like to offer up a little twist on the traditional resolutions.

Here is my offering from last year: Celebration, Enhancement, Intention.

This year is a little different. This year I propose a challenge. To be completed by December 31, 2015. And, yes, I will be holding you accountable.

Nervous yet?

Don’t be.

Here it is – over the year, I want you to prove yourself wrong.

That’s it.

No calories to count or reps to complete (unless of course, that’s how you’re proving yourself wrong).

All you have to do is find one belief you currently hold and change your mind about it.

Confused? I’ll give you some ideas:

-Start by thinking of the things you say you “can’t” do. Pick one and do it.

-Examine your thoughts for traces of “always” or “never;” those words usually indicate an underlying stereotype or assumption. Find a counterexample.

-Sift through your responses to people and claims. Look for those topics that make you defensive. That’s a sign that you think you can’t handle some truth. Prove that you can.

It’s so easy to operate within a prison of possibilities built by our own limiting thoughts.

This is your year to break through.

Prove yourself wrong.

Remember, I’ll be checking up on you:)

Bust a Rut

Posted on by stilllearning2b

Regular gym-goers have a tendency to dread the facility in January. Every machine and every corner is occupied from pre-dawn to well after dark. It can become frustrating when the new exercisers make it difficult to use a machine, invade your personal space in a class or elongate your workout due to the extra wait time.

I used to grumble every year about the influx of newbies. Some years, I even avoided the gym for much of January, only to return once the numbers dwindled down to a more reasonable level.

I don’t complain anymore. After all, we cannot always change our circumstances, but we can always change our attitude. The people are coming, I might as well learn how to accept it:)

I actually really enjoy seeing people embark on a fitness routine. I love seeing the determination and I celebrate their success. I am often more inspired by the people setting foot in a gym for the first time than I am by the people who visit every day. It takes some real guts to start something new, especially when you feel like an outsider. (A la Sephora)

What I don’t like is that my routine is inevitably disrupted.

I don’t have a prescribed set of exercises. I change things up. But I prefer to change them up on my terms.

January doesn’t allow that to happen.

Overnight, I go from being able to choose what exercises I want to do to having to think on the spot and do whatever I can with whatever I can.

It’s a rude awakening, having to relinquish that control.

But I actually kind of like it.

Let’s be honest, if not required by necessity, I wouldn’t bust out of my fitness rut. I may change things up, but I only change them within my comfort zone. In January, there is no comfort zone. It’s already filled with guys doing bench press and ladies doing core work. Rather than alter just a few exercises, I’m forced to start from scratch every time.

It’s frustrating. But also revitalizing.

You don’t see the rut until you’re strong armed into busting it.

Often, when we face change on our terms, we seek to control it. We move slowly or at least in measured and thought out increments. In some ways, change on our terms in easier since we feel like we are in the driver’s seat. Yet, it can also be more challenging as you have to battle with your own fear each step of the way.

Sometimes life doesn’t allow us to change at our own pace. Sometimes it comes as a great big unwanted shift that requires adaptation and acceptance.

Or complaining and resistance.

It’s really your choice.

And for all the gym newbies, I wish you the best. I hope to still see you in February. Just please don’t hog the squat rack:)