A New Year
Lifestyle vs. Resolution We love challenges at CrossFit Amplify. Nutrition challenges, fitness competitions, and even the popular New Year, New You motivational cliché for newcomers.
Yet it must be said that what we are attempting to construct in those 3-, 6-, or 8-week challenges is not necessarily a resolution. It's a lifestyle.
We have come to understand that anyone looking for a quick fix with diet and exercise clearly needs some guidance. Those who expect health and wellness in just a matter of months often become very disappointed, and therefore fall off the fitness (band)wagon. See, this isn't a "get rich quick" scheme. Fitness isn't in the 8-minute Abs, ThighMaster, Bowflex, Tae-Bo, or Zumba. And it's not in Bootcamps, Kettlebells, or CrossFit training either.
The magic is not in the program-- although some are identifiably better than others. (Insert jab at easy target here. Shake Weight, anyone?) The magic, if there is such a thing, is in the lifestyle. It's in the hard work. Any fitness or nutrition challenge simply exists to kickstart behavior. Realistically, whatever enjoyable activity gets a person moving can produce results. But results are not in the decision to exercise, they're in the action.
Being active... how fitting a term.
Think about it, from your own past, with your own New Year's resolutions. Did they stick? If you said to yourself, "no," was it because you really didn't want to change in the first place? And if you said, "yes," then it must not have mattered that you began on January 1st. You could have started any other day of the year. Am I right? Maybe a new year was the kick in the butt you wanted/needed, but it was just a small part of the behavior choice.
It was a lifestyle change. Not a trick, not a scheme, and not even a resolution. It was action. And that, my friends, involves much more than just a decision.
The Translation Find that place where motivation becomes routine.
Here at Amplify, we have a recommendation for you: follow a strength and conditioning regimen. We'll even set the daily workouts. And post them publicly online.
The magic isn't in the programming; it's in the lifestyle change. It's putting the plan into action, it's the camaraderie with our Amplify community, and it's the 23 remaining hours each day that are spent in healthful eating habits, mentally stimulating work, and social and emotional bonds with loved ones.
The Execution Set a one-month goal. Set a year-long goal, if you can. Set lots. Aim high.
But a vision needs a plan of action, like a catalyst needs a conductor. Create a plan to collect the spark of a vision, and carry through on the attainable. One without the other is a waste of energy.
Know the days of the week you will make it in to the gym. And hold yourself accountable.
Keep in mind that this is ever-changing, and even a lifestyle can look different from year to year. Priorities can shift with work, family, and stress. Setbacks occur, and if we consider all this to be part of the process, part of life, then a big picture vision works to maintain balance.
Again, lifestyle vs. resolution. A resolution is easy to scrap. A balanced lifestyle is never thrown away; it fluctuates and evolves, naturally, but it remains intact.
The Yearly Challenge Each year I offer a motivational challenge to each and every reader, as prompted by our own love/hate relationship with CrossFit and the tough workouts we endure.
New to our AmpFam? Welcome. The journey is fun, but the outcome is better. And the group of people here are second to none. Check past posts regarding the fitness equation, dedication, progress, community, etc. Ask questions. Seek out answers.
The challenge? Step back and do some self-reflection. Think about what goals you have and how you will pursue those goals. Bigger than that? Think about what can be done to continue or set into motion your lifestyle.
- What brought you in to the gym in the first place? Why did you step foot into Amplify?
- What are you doing to take the next step, to make the next advancement in your fitness journey?
- Where can the trainers help? Specifically, what can you communicate that would further benefit the time you put in the gym each and every week?
Whether you are an Amplify veteran or have just joined the ranks of our gym, here’s looking ahead at another year of fitness without boundaries.
Thanks for being here, and as always, thanks for reading!
- Scott, 1.1.2017