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Fitness Success In 2010: Make A Decision... Not Resolutions!
From Bodybuilding

So we have come upon another year. 2009 has come and gone and we are looking forward to everything that is going to happen in 2010. The new year has so much potential. There are so many things that could change our lives when a new year approaches. The New Year's party was great. The countdown has happened. There is normally one thing left to do to celebrate January 1. We answer the most asked question during the holiday.

"What are your New Year's resolutions?"

We have all done it. We thought about it and we come up with a short list of things we would like to do this year. We are going to save $20 out of every paycheck. We are going to eat out once a week. We are going to bring our lunch from our house every other day of the week. Of course, the biggest answer of them all is...

"This year, I am going to get in shape."

It could be losing a few pounds or maybe it involves running or biking or any other physical activity. We have all done it. We also stick with them until about January 6th and forget all about them and we are off and running on another stagnant year. It will be business as usual until December 31st next year.

This Year, Do Something Different!
I have a suggestion. It might sound a little crazy, but bear with me. In 2010, skip the resolutions. Don't waste your time debating it. Don't bother with the whole resolution concept. Why do the same thing you did last year and not get anywhere?

Here is what I want you to do in 2010. Make one decision. This year, I want you to decide that this is the year that it is going to happen. You are going to lose the weight, you are going to add muscle, you are going to get stronger, and you will not quit!

Now even though the two terms are synonyms, there is a huge difference between a resolution and a decision. As I mentioned in my example before, resolutions are light hearted and tend to be forgotten. Lots of people make resolutions and unfortunately, lots of people don't stick with them.

Think about the importance of decisions. Presidents make decisions, CEO's make decisions, and athletes - when the game is on the line - make decisions to win. More importantly, when those decisions are made, they act on them. They get results.

At the end of the day, the result is what matters. You must make this decision that important to you. There is no way you will forget that decision. It is final. It will happen. In 2010, you will do what you say you are going to do. This is your year. You are going to get the results that you have desired for every year prior.

Write Out Your Decision.
Now making the decision to get in shape isn't enough. It is too vague. There is no way of measuring whether you got the results you wanted. So you aren't just going to make a decision. You are going to make a specific decision. You must put the goal in the decision and write it out like an official statement. In other words, don't just say...

Write Out Your Goal Like An Official Statement.
"I hope to get in shape this year."

That doesn't read like the writer is very motivated or very confident in the statement. It needs to sound and read as if it is a matter of fact. It must be written like you know it will happen. Try something like this.

"In 2010, I will lose 30 pounds of fat, add 15 pounds of muscle, and bench press 300 pounds."

Now that is a decision. That reads like someone is going to do it. That person is determined, confident, and motivated to make it happen. That is how you need to be if you truly want it to happen.

Once you have your statement, write it out and keep it everywhere. Keep it in your wallet, in your car, and in your office. Have that statement anywhere and everywhere you can see it. You want to see it multiple times a day. It will serve as a constant reminder that you made that decision and you are going to act on it. It will tell you that you are going to make this year different. There will be no forgetting it within the first week.

Why Are You Making The Decision?
So we have made our decision and written it down so we will see it. That is great, but there is much more we have to do to ensure that 2010 is different. Think about why you want to do this. Why do you want to lose weight or gain weight? Why do you want to compete in that first show?

Take some time and consider all these reasons. It could be for self-confidence, a health issue, the opposite sex, or money. Whatever your reasons are, as long as they are important to you, then that is what matters. Take that same paper that you wrote your statement on and add these reasons below it. It might look like this.

Why Do I Want To Reach My Goals In 2010?
I want to inspire my family to be more active and live healthier lives.
I want to compete in a bodybuilding contest in August.
I want to win the 2011 BodySpace Spokesperson Contest.
I want to increase my self-confidence and go out on more dates.

Now it doesn't matter how many reasons you have. It can be four or forty. As long as they motivate you to act on that decision, then write them down and go for it. Staying motivated is what will make the difference between being successful with your decision and failure to meet another resolution.

You Will Do It This Year!
We have covered the difference in a resolution and a decision. We wrote out the goal. We also wrote down why we want to do it. At this point you should be confident that you are going to do it this year. In case you aren't just yet, let me help you out.

2010 isn't just another year for you. 2010 is the year. I know that you may have struggled in 2009, and 2008, and 2007. None of that matters at this moment. All the past failures don't matter from now on. I have had to get over my own demons, I assure you.

The only thing that helped me bridge the gap from failure to success is that I finally decided that my time was now and if I don't do it, then I never will. That is what you need to do right now. This is absolutely it. You are tired of being complacent, you are sick of being like everyone else you know that just "resolves" to do something and nothing else. You are going to do it. You will do whatever you have to do to meet that goal this year. Why? Because you didn't "resolve" to. You decided to.

Conclusion
I am going to end this with a tip to help you act on that decision this year. Sign up for TEAM BEACHBODY (thomas68050) if you haven't already. You can update your thoughts and logs with your posts on the TEAM CHALLENGEX thread, you can stay inspired by the hundreds of thousands of users from all over the world, and you can show your progress by adding photos.

I want to close by wishing you the best of luck and congratulations in advance for making 2010 your year.

-Tom

Awesome Tom! I'm looking forward to getting started. I've already started on my eating. It will be a work in progress as I figure out how to eat more protein and less carbs!

I can't wait to feel healthier, lose weight, and put on muscle.

BTW, I ran a 5K in college and it was fun. You get a huge rush as you run a race with a large group of people after you have been accustomed to running alone. Let me know if you want some company on your 5K race and I'll shoot for the same goal.

Scott Thanks for stopping by and I'm looking forward to starting on the 18th with you. Let me know if you have questions.

Rush Thanks man! I've checked out your blog and it is great buddy. Your post are always right on and full of knowledge. Bring it!

-Tom

Great job Tom!! Love the new board. Keep up the great work

-Sean

What's up everyone! Today was a rest day for me because of family goings on today! What I love about X is that you can work it into your schedule. I just moved my rest day from Sunday to today and it's all good.

Do your best and forget the rest!!! Anybody who is lurking out there introduce yourself. We are in this together!

-Tom

Sam Glad to see that you made it. Yeah Yoga is a tough one but I love it. I've moved it to Saturday for 2 reasons 1) It is a big time commitment and Saturday I've got way more time 2) It really streches me out at the end of the week and just gives me the peace I need for my rest day!

Let me know if you have any more questions. I've asked a lot myself over time and hopefully I can answer yours. If not I'll get an answer. Keep killing it buddy!

-Tom

Here is a link that describes what a HIIT run is:HIIT

I really enjoy these when I'm limited on time and can't get a X cardio done. Enjoy.

-Tom

Hey everyone
My name is Ives. I'll be starting my third round on the 18th, thought i'd join up with you guys if you don't mind. There's a few of us that ended a round a few days ago and were talking about starting another 18th thread. I'll try and shoot them this way if that's cool. Seems like it would be better to have a single "starting on the 18th thread" than to have multiple ones going. Anyways looking forward to posting with you guys. I'll put up some before pics on sunday as well as a fit test result.

See ya everyone

Ives

Ives Awesome man! Looking forward to having more company on this new journey. Have you been doing only Classic? It would be great to get more folks goin! Thanks for stopping by.

Scott Hope the ankle heals quick!!! Plyo will be killer on it if your not careful! Modify.

I'll post pics this weekend as well. Need my wife to take them! I've decided to take this week and do some light cardio and no lifting to prepare for next week. It will be a challenge to "rest".

-Tom

wiffleball Wow man! Great results. Round 2 you cut up and leaned out a lot. What's your plan for this round?

-
tom