New Year, New You 2017

As 2016 comes to a close, many of us are thinking about the New Year and what it will bring. We usually want it to be much better than the previous years, especially if the past year was particularly rotten. So we wish for the year to be over and start planning for the New Year.

A lot of people choose to make New Year’s resolutions. That phrase has such a negative connotation to it. I know that I, for one, shy away from making any resolutions. Sure, it sounds like a great idea and we start out with such high expectations and we are so motivated at first. However, we know that it’s almost always temporary, because who has actually made it a whole 365 days of a year of being focused on the resolutions they made at the beginning of it? I would hope the number wouldn’t be zero, but I also know that it is a sad percentage of the people that have made resolutions.

So for the past few years, and maybe even longer than that, I have avoided making New Year’s resolutions. Since the end of 2014, I have made goals instead and that has worked out so much better for me! These last few years have mostly been centered around making healthy living or self-improvement related goals.

Check out my Inspire the Best You in 2017 Coaching Package, a six-week bundle of support and coaching sessions for the New Year!

Here are some examples of how my New Year’s goals have gone the past few years:

My goals for 2015:

1. Walk 1200 miles, indoor with videos or outdoors
2. Try at least 3 new workouts/exercises
3. Complete at least one 5K run
4. Start looking for a half marathon to do in 2016
5. Lose 75-80lbs

How I did:

1 & 3. Due to a foot issue that popped up in the middle of the year, I was not able to achieve the 1200 miles or the 5K run. However, I did sign up for a 5K run and did the 2-mile walk they were holding instead of backing out entirely.
2. For the new workouts, there was running and using a stationary bike. I obviously didn’t get to the third new exercise.
4. I found a half marathon and signed up for it for May 2016, thanks to the inspiration of a friend who did the race that year!
5. I lost 53lbs, so not quite the goal but this one I was least focused on the actual number. It was just nice to have something to shoot for.

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My goals for 2016:

1. Complete the Tinker Bell Half Marathon
2. Lose the last 45-50lbs
3. Start making a livable income from my business
4. Write and publish my first book
5. Work on a more steady and consistent strength training routine
6. Develop a closer relationship with God

How I did:

1. I completed the Tinker Bell Half Marathon. It was, by far, my biggest fitness accomplishment so far! It was so hard, but so amazing at the same time.
2. Gained weight back instead of losing it. It’s all a part of my journey though and I will still continue moving forward. I will get the weight gained back off and then some!
3. I made income from my business, just not “livable.”
4. I wrote, and am nearly finished writing, my first book. It should be released this spring!
5. I put together a strength training routine which I managed to stick with for a couple months and was the most conducive one for me.
6. I developed a closer relationship with God and with reading His Word.

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The end of 2015 was rough, considering that we lost my uncle and I ended up getting sick with a nasty infection. Then 2016 was full of chaos with a cross country move and what felt like a million other things going in all kinds of directions. So I may not have achieved all of my goals for either year, but I did achieve more than I would have if I hadn’t made the goals in the first place. They gave me something to aim for and thus provided me with more direction than just winging it.

My goals for 2017:

1. Lose 50-60lbs, which is 4-5lbs/mo and totally doable!
2. Complete the Tinker Bell Half Marathon for the second time this May, as well as a full marathon in November.
3. Start making a livable income off of my business- $1500 per month or more, ideally, by the end of the year.
4. Publish my current book that’s nearly finished and another book, whether it be a short eBook or a whole novel.

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My suggestion to you is to focus on actual goals, instead of resolutions that you will probably give up on within a few weeks. Specific and measurable goals are always best because they allow you to track your progress and see where you’re going. Another piece of advice is to create a motivation/vision board for your goals to place somewhere where you will be consistently reminded of your goals. Here is an article about making one from the Huffington Post: The Reason Vision Boards Work and How to Make One.

Check out my list of 25 Top Gifts for Healthy Living for some ideas on what might be handy for reaching your weight loss and healthy living goals in the New Year. They don’t even have to be a Christmas gift, you could just get them for yourself!

You can also make a FREE 30-minute weight loss coaching session with me between December 26-31 about how you can make this coming year the best year yet with your healthy living goals. Check out my calendar and make an appointment here: Inspire the Best You Calendar. Be sure to set up your session before the slots are all booked up!

I also have a deal going on with my coaching package: Inspire the Best You in 2017 Coaching Package. It’s on pre-order for $99 right now, which means you won’t be charged until the package is released on January 1st. The package will be going up to full price after the New Year!

So tell me, what are YOUR goals for 2017? Are they healthy living related, career or education related, or just for life in general? I’d love to know what you’re aiming for in the New Year!

~Bonnie~

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