With January here, it’s easy to create a few New Year’s resolutions and get started on new goals. A great way to get started is to look at your achievements from the past year. Get started with what you’ve accomplished so you can build on success.
Think back on 2019. Rummage through your calendars and appointments. How did you do with your fitness in the past year? It’s easy to find the negatives. Try not to focus on the things you didn’t do. Focus on the things you did. For example, if you know you made it to the gym at least 3 days a week nearly every week that’s a huge accomplishment. It can be challenging to make it to the gym. Nearly 80% of people can’t do it so count yourself among the successful gym goers.
What’s the one thing in the past year you are most proud of? What’s your big win in the past year? It’s a great place to start. By thinking through your accomplishments you’re solidifying all the hard work you put in. Write down your biggest accomplishment. How did you achieve it? What work did you do? What sacrifices did you make?
Next, think about the things you learned in the past year. Start with your greatest achievement in the past year and work your way month by month. What new skills, habits, exercises, routines or personal attributes did you learn about? Any big surprises? It’s important to keep learning. Fitness is an ever-changing field. There’s new information coming out regularly that can impact your life.
Next, who helped you with your accomplishments in the past year? Who are the people who support you the most? Think about the people you talk to about your fitness and who you share your goals, challenges and fears with. These are the people who can help you continue with your improvements. Change is difficult and nearly impossible if you try to change things on your own. Building a community of support around you is a powerful asset.
What challenges did you face in the past year? It’s great when things go well but there are always going to be challenges. How we choose to deal with the challenges is really what defines us. It’s important to note the challenges you faced and how you deal with them. What did you do well? What could you have done better? We learn from failure. Failure is a great teacher. Focus on the challenges where you made progress. What did you overcome? What challenges did you meet head on?
By focusing on your big achievements, things you’ve learned, people who’ve help you and the challenges you’ve met, you have a better understanding of your past year. You spent 365 days engaged in the fitness lifestyle. By creating a yearly review, your new goals will be more focused on things you want and need to achieve. You have a greater opportunity for success in your near future by understanding your recent past.
