By: Kris Germain, Jill Schooler, Carrie Rey, DJ Castillo, and Jen McMahon
It’s January and you are either wondering how you are going to achieve your Resolutions or you don’t want to think about Resolutions at all. One thing is for sure though, we all want something from the year ahead. The truth is, most people who make resolutions do not follow through with them, and the other people who don’t bother with resolutions tend to slip deeper and deeper into patterns and habits that a busy life creates.
CrossFit 310 exists as a group of people who consciously understand that we influence each other. The tribe consists of many leaders that impact each other on numerous levels every day. Consistent positive striving is the goal.
Here are five perspectives from our amazing coaches on how to make positive change for yourself in the year ahead.
Coach Jill:
I gotta say I am not a big “resolution” fan. But…
I am a big believer in having a goal and a way to measure it so you can track progress! This can happen in Jan, Feb, Mar or when you have an event or “thing” you want to do! As a paddling coach, I do a lot of plans for training around competitions for my team. It's fun to geek out and make a plan! You should have a timeframe (start and stop) and then break down the plan into pieces so you can execute (not just hope for the best).
It also really helps to do it with your “team”. This gives you some accountability, support and motivation. This example is a goal based on a competition so we need increasing mileage, skill work, speed work...but you can apply this type of planning to any goal. Maybe its increasing your 1k row or getting a pull-up or doing the splits!
So make a resolution or don't make a resolution - but definitely set a goal and make a plan!
Coach Carrie:
I tell people that you just have to start. Even if you think you’re too out of shape, or you’re not good enough at whatever you’re trying, or if you’re nervous. If you don’t start the process, then nothing will ever change for you.
Something that helps me is the overall mindset of health. When I exercise consistently I am more healthy. I know it has kept me away from the doctor and allowed me to thrive.
Right now I am making two nutritional choices. First, I’m making choices that are significant enough to make changes, but not so overwhelming that they can’t be sustained. Second, I am not doing it alone. Accountability means a lot.
Coach DJ:
I believe that there are a few things that need to be done in order to make a meaningful change for the coming year.
The first one is to track. There are a number of things to track such as progress in the gym if you are chasing a new PR, tracking your food in order to either lose or gain weight, tracking your quality and quantity of sleep, the list can go on and on but choose a couple of things to track and be persistent about it. It can be as simple as how many days in a row that you have come in the gym per week or how many meals incorporated a solid amount of fruits and veggies. But the key takeaway from this is that it gives you data on where you started on your journey, to where you are now, to where you want to go in the future.
The second thing to do to make a powerful change is to have an awesome support system and to surround yourself around people that will help you get to where you want to go. If you’re struggling to get into the gym, or you’ve had one too many treats, you have five great coaches to talk to for you to get back on track and will support you, as well as our entire 310 community. We’re all here to better ourselves in more ways than one and we have strength in numbers.
The last thing I believe that is needed is to enjoy and trust the process. It makes things so much easier to do the things you love doing. I know it can be hard at times to push through those long days, but always remember that nothing comes easy, so might as well make it fun.
Coach Jen:
Here are my simple resolution tips to optimize your chance to be successful:
You do not have to start on Jan 1st. You can resolve to change at any time; the beginning of the year is just another opportunity to get inspired.
Your goal or resolution must be clear and be something you have control over. I often hear people say they want to “lose weight”, but I find that choosing a habit or behavior you can change to help you lose weight is a better strategy. For example, “I’d like to stop ordering lunches out”.
The most important part of having a goal or resolution is your plan. You can’t just decide to execute change without knowing how you’ll do it. In the example above, my plan might be to go shopping on Monday so I have groceries in the house so that I can make my lunches at home for the week.
Community is key for meeting goals. Get others involved or tell someone your plan so you have a feeling of commitment and accountability.
Koach Kris:
I’m going to keep mine very concise to emphasize how potent two simple choices can be.
Start with the one thing you think you can repeatedly do again and again that will help you towards your goals.
a. Two of the most miraculous changes I’ve ever witnessed (ex. overweight Camera Operator turned Personal Trainer/Nutritionist) started with “I’m going to stop drinking Soda and Diet Soda.”
Surround yourself with a group of people who are doing the thing you want to be doing.
a. Make sure that group makes you feel welcome and at-home no matter where you are in your journey.
b. Make sure they know how to bring you with them.
All of our coaches at 310 have not only experienced success with the achievement of goals and behavioral changes, but we’ve also experienced dozens of failures. We want to use the knowledge of both experiences and share them with as many people as we can.
The advice above is valuable whether you’re part of our community or not. If you feel like our coaches and our community could help you, follow this link and we’ll start with a talk: https://www.crossfit310.com/signup
We don’t have it all together, so you don’t need to have it all together either. We’ll utilize each other to strive for positive changes and move from simply “getting through” our days to thriving in them!
