Friday, January 30, 2015

Hang in there!

Happy Friday UC San Diego!

Now that we're a solid month into the New Year, I think it's prime time we get a little #inspiration back in our routines... right?! Today we're in luck for we have our 6th College wellness advocate, Michael, here to give us the 4-1-1 on sticking to our New Years Resolutions.

Do Not Give Up
By Michael Phan

Friends:

Every New Year, many people come up with resolutions and goals for the year. I have heard lots of common fitness and health resolutions from eating a “clean” diet, wanting to lose X pounds/body fat, going to the gym X times a week, and working out multiple times. For the first week, the passion, the desire, and the determination are glistening in people’s eyes. However, after the first few weeks, the enthusiasm diminishes, people quit, and they regress to their old state. It’s happened to a lot of my family and friends. And every time I see this, it saddens me because the feeling that one attains when completing a goal is euphoric. Your goal is achievable if you just do not give up.

When planning my goals, I imagine a goal as a one mile walk. One cannot get from the start to finish in an instant. I need to take steps to reaching the finish line. Goals are achieved in steps, so plan out the process to reaching the goal. For example, if your goal is to lose 10 pounds this quarter, break it down into smaller pieces. Change the 10 lbs per quarter to 1 lb a week, so that you can assess your progress and make weekly adjustments. Some adjustments you can make are very simple, like adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet and moving more!
 
Achieving the goal is simple, if one breaks down the steps to achieving the goal. Simple does not mean easy. There will be plenty difficult day, but if you stick to your goal, assess your progress, and make adjustments; you will achieve the goal.

Excuses are the biggest hindrances to achieving your goal. Time, difficulty, genetics, and money are common excuses that one makes. Excuses are justifications of why one does not want to complete the goal. It makes one feel good immediately, but that feeling is short lived. Do not make excuses. If you really want to achieve your goal, then shoot for it. If you fall short of your goal, but still manage to make progress, then you are better than you were a couple weeks/months ago. Once you achieve that goal, you will be happier and feel a sense of pride in yourself. If you have a goal, achieve your goal. There is no better time to start living a healthy lifestyle than today. So put your New Year’s resolutions and goals in action! Best wishes to you all.
 
WELL said Michael! I couldn't agree with you more!!!
 
If you have any comments, feedback or want to learn more, feel free to email me directly at tastebuds@ucsd.edu.

No comments:

Post a Comment