Make Your New Year’s Resolution A Priority: How to Maintain Your Exercise Regime

Have you thought about how many times you have not honored your commitments to yourself? Have you considered how many times you have let yourself down or put yourself last? 

Don’t get me wrong. There are things in our lives that are urgent and must take precedence. But how many times are essential things not considered urgent? This is why we must schedule time for them.

Why do so many people choose exercise and taking better care of themselves as a new year resolution but quit shortly after?  Most don’t even make it to February.  Why do so many people put other things on their schedule and stick to them, but not their new year’s exercise routine? Matthew Kelly in his book, Resisting Happiness, names it, “resistance.”  Kelly explains resistance as that feeling of not wanting to do something that you know is good for you, or the desire to put off something you know you should be doing now. Resistance is always ready to sabotage and control you. Resistance shows up in various ways in your life, such as procrastination, fear, doubt, excuses or laziness. Resistance is your enemy, and you must be ready to “slay it daily.” 

So how do you conquer resistance to exercise and take care of yourself? You must be vigilant. You must begin to recognize it, name it and be aware when resistance shows up to sabotage you. Once you can recognize it for what it is, then you can move past it and develop new positive habits. Kelly explains, “good habits effortlessly defeat resistance.”  Then and only then will “resistance” not have power over you! You will begin to do what you know is good for you (good habits) . . . therefore defeating resistance. Before you know it, your new good habits will transform your lifestyle. You will begin to honor your commitments to yourself. You will have your exercise resolution on your schedule, and you will label it urgent and important.

Don’t allow resistance to have power over you and don’t be a quitter. Be aware, be vigilant and take care of you!