2021 New Year’s Resolution

Written By PFC Fitness Camp • 4 min read

It’s time to make your 2021 New Year’s Resolution… which means the end of 2020 is creeping ever closer! To say you can feel the excitement in the air for this year to be over is an understatement… and while 2020 has been one heck of a year and the plight for many has been beyond heartbreaking, that doesn’t mean it’s all been negative. For many of us, 2020 has shed light on how much we tend to neglect our self care efforts and time. For some, it has offered an opportunity to chase new and exciting hobbies, goals, and personal endeavors. With New Years Eve rolling near, it’s time to take a moment and begin contemplating how we can take what we’ve learned this year and transform it into a true resolution for 2021.

So… 2021 New Year’s Resolution… resolution… what does “resolution” really mean?

Resolution: A firm decision to do, or not to do, something.

Interesting… so while most people think of a New Year’s Resolution as something they want to do, but usually give up within the first two weeks… well, that doesn’t really sound like a resolution at all, does it? Or, perhaps the resolution is actually something you’ve made a firm decision to do or not to do, but for some reason you just can never seem to get it done? Either way, we have some how-to tips on setting yourself up for success for your 2021 New Year’s Resolution!

1. Get Specific
   This is SO important. Saying “I want to start working out.” is not specific enough. Try giving yourself a specific goal with a reason. “I want to go to the gym 2x/week for 45 minutes so I can build strength and a healthy habit that will help me lose weight and boost my confidence.” THAT is specific. THAT is something you write down, put on your bathroom mirror, and read every day that will help revamp your motivation to workout. This about where you will work on this goal, who else is involved, why this goal is important to you, and which resources or limits are involved.
2. Stay Measurable
   Tracking progress is essential to keep yourself motivated. While we don’t notice how our body or mind changes day-to-day, we can see big differences over time if we have a way to document our progress. For example, if your goal to to build muscle strength and lose weight, taking progress photos and having a weekly fitness check-in (like tracking how long you can hold a plank, or how many push ups you can do in one minute, or how many squats you can do with a 35lb KB, etc.) can prove how much your progressing every week. Sometimes our bodies don’t show the strength we’re building right away, so having a log to track your progress can serve as a way to measure your effort and the progress that pays off from it!
3. Make It Achievable
   While it’s essential to have big dreams and goals for yourself… it’s important to set yourself up for success. Saying something along the lines of “I want to lose 60lbs in 30 days!” is beyond extreme un very unrealisitic. Now, having a goal of losing 60lbs to reach a healthy weight is fantastic, but it’s important to set mini goals that lead to losing that 60lbs over time. Setting a goal to lose 1-2lbs a week is achievable weekly and long term, and most importantly- safe and healthy.
4. Get Relevant
   This step is about picking a goal that matters to you. Picking a goal that isn’t relevant to the life you want to lead or the person you want to become will set you up for failure. Ask yourself the following questions to make sure your goals relevant (you should be able to answer ‘yes’ to all of them if the goal is right for you): Does this seem worthwhile? Is this the right time? Does this match my other efforts/needs?
5. Time Bound
   Make sure your goal is something you access in a specific amount of time. As previously stated, wants to lose 60lbs in one month is unrealistic and cannot be accomplished in that time frame without seriously ricking long term health issues. What can you do six months from now? How about six weeks? Six days? The next six hours?

Many of our resolution goals revolve around weight… “I want to weigh less”, “I want to lose 20 lbs”, “I want to fit into those size 2 jeans I wore 25 years ago”… and the list goes on, and on, and on. I want to encourage you to reframe your goal in words that support a healthy lifestyle- both physically and mentally. For example, saying “I want to build the strength to do 3 pull-ups in six months” is much better than “I want to lose all the fat on my arms.” Learning to do pull ups is challenging and requires full body strength training that will help you to lose body fat while building muscle. This will give you a strong, lean, healthy physique that not only looks nice, but can actually lift heavy things! Change your mindset from trying to whittle yourself away to building physical strength, confidence, and self love.

Hope this helps you create some fun and achievable goals for 2021! If you’d like to learn more about how to set and build healthy goals, check out these blogs: Healthy at Home: How to stay fit & motivated, Healthy Habits & How To Build Them,