Determination and Success!

Juliet Zuercher

The holidays are officially over and the New Year is here. According to a University of Washington study, approximately 100 million people enter into New Years’ resolutions. Not surprisingly, the majority of these resolutions are concerned with health, especially exercise and diet.

If you fall into this group, what are your chances for success? Actually, they’re quite good, provided you possess two qualities: determination and persistence.

The truth is, any type of change is difficult, even positive change. That’s why it is so important to truly desire change and understand exactly what it will take to accomplish it.

This starts with reasonable expectations, not quick fixes. If you decide to lose ten pounds in one week, you will fail. But stretch that out to six months and your success odds have improved greatly. The same holds true for exercise. Desiring a toned body is good; expecting it to happen in a matter of days is not.

A couple strategies may prove helpful. An accountability partner is good. If food consumption is your area of focus, having a person to check in with may be beneficial. Regarding exercise, a partner to do it with is excellent. It will be more fun and you’re more apt to do it.

Another tip: don’t engage in black-white thinking. Such thoughts as ‘If I don’t exercise every single day, I am no good;’ or ‘If I lose eight pounds instead of ten, I failed.’

Give yourself time and grace. Remember, you only have one body, so treat it with love.