New Year's Resolutions You Should Be Making

According to Forbes, only 8% of people actually stick to their New Year's Resolutions. Are you one of them, or are you part of the 92% that don't?

Instead of promising yourself this year'll be different, it's time for a new perspective. Why do people fail to keep their resolutions?

One reason is our tendency to focus on the end result, rather than the process. Have you promised that you'll lose 10kg in 2016 - or maybe you want to add 10kg onto your snatch?

Whilst there's nothing wrong with having these goals, you might be setting yourself up for failure. How did you decide 10kg was an appropriate number? What happens if you don't hit it?

When you focus on the process, rather than the results, you're able to achieve your goals in a much healthier way. You'll get leaner, faster and stronger - without placing yourself under pressure to perform.

Here are some process-based resolutions you should make instead:

Get More Sleep

Sleep is one of the most underestimated tools for training and recovery. 

According to the Sleep Council's Great British Bedtime Report (2013), 70% of the population get less than 7 hours of sleep each night. Scientists have consistently linked a lack of sleep to obesity. So, if your goal is to lose weight, make sure you're getting at least 8-10 hours.

Sleep is also essential for recovery, and will help you achieve your performance goals.

 

Stay Consistent 

Don't kid yourself you're going to train every day, or stick to a 'clean' diet for the whole year. It's not going to happen.

Be realistic when planning your goals, and aim for consistency instead. It's okay to have a couple of days off each week. In fact, it's necessary.

You need to give your body time to recover from the intense WODs you put it through in the box. Consistency with recovery is just as important as consistency with training.

Likewise, being too strict with nutrition could lead to an unsustainable calorie deficit, or nutrient deficiencies. 

Aim for balance in all aspects of your life, and maintain this throughout the year. When you deprive yourself of things you enjoy, the fallout is inevitable. Treat yourself to the occasional slice of cake - and keep those sugar binges at bay.

 

Always Put Form First

Imagine your resolution is to hit a 200kg deadlift. What happens if you get 200kg off the floor, but you resemble a screeching cat - not a weightlifter? Have you achieved your goal, or not?

Focusing on the end result is more likely to lead you towards short cuts, which won't do you any favours in the long-term.

Instead, resolve to lift everything with good form. Work on your problem areas, and then start to add weight.

Who knows what will be possible when you focus on movement quality, instead of numbers? Remove your limitations, and that 200kg might just become 220kg.

 

Work on Your Mindset

We talk about this a lot, but it really is so important. If your mind isn't in the right place, your training will suffer.

There's so much we could talk about here, but it's all about finding a strategy that works for you.

Meditation has become a popular mindset tool for athletes in recent years. If you struggle with mindset, regular meditation could help you:

• Improve focus, 
• Overcome fear,
• Relieve pain naturally,
• Improve sleep,
• Reduce stress and increase resilience.

If you want to give meditation a try, but have no idea where to start, check out the Headspace app for a series of simple, easy-to-follow guided meditations.