1/12 of the year is done, complete, checked off, gone forever and what have you done? If it is anything like most Januarys when you have a bustling household; you have put away holiday decorations, kept Purel handy to no avail, shoveled snow, helped kids prepare for mid-terms, found all your Goodwill receipts and tried to keep the fridge stocked with healthy non-seasonal fruits and veggies as the kids won’t survive on the winter fare. So what about you…what have you done for you?

Artwork is by Lusius Art. Click picture for link.

Last month, I wrote about keeping New Year’s Resolutions, easy to write not always so easy to keep. I thinkour first intention in a new year is to “clean out the closets”, to start new and fresh whether it is a health and wellness regime or if it is truly cleaning out the closets. Wiping the slate clean is paramount at the turn of the new year. Unfortunately, as mothers (selfless human beings), January doesn’t usually pan out that way.

It is now February 1st, and the post holiday, back to school after vacation madness should have settled. Time for you! If you made resolutions and they are staring at you and you are hiding your eyes from them; it is time to face reality. Time for you. If you have made resolutions and you are on a roll, you are a rock star and should be treated so. If you have made resolutions and kept them for the month of January without the need of a straight jacket then you are well on your way to making the change permanent! Congratulations!

Personally, January for me has been a bit of a mixed bag. Some great changes, some set-backs but in all a progression in the right direction. I have spent the last few days trying to understand why some changes have worked and some need remedial help. I have found that left to my own motivation, I might be in need of a new easy chair and not running shoes. I really rely on a schedule, a training program, a bunch of friends and external reminders to keep on task. Whether it is eating better or training, I need help, even when I am training for a long endurance race. I have competed for years in big events and still need the same motivation and stimulus as a newbie. Even as a personal trainer, someone who encourages and motivates others, I struggle. What keeps me to task in January and now February?

• a training plan-Something that prescribes a workout; easier to check off the list, to stay on task and to keep interesting. It can be for a race, to reach a goal, to become stronger or to lose a few pounds. Having a plan makes compliance easier. Even though I could tell myself what to do, it is often easier if it comes from a training plan that I didn’t create. I need to be held accountable and not to just myself.
• friends-Going through something with a partner adds the accountability factor like a training plan, in fact it is like a walking, talking training training plan. If you have friends that have similar goals, it is nice to make dates, confer about workouts and swap encouragement.
• internal motivators- As I run, I draw a lot from past experiences and also visualize where I want to be in the future. For some, being self motivated is a breeze. I struggle with this a bit but try to rely on myself more and more as I makes me feel successful
• external motivators- A big one! Signs posted in conspicuous places with positive sayings and affirmations. Can be cut out from a magazine or just written in your own scrawl, having visual encouragement can really be a positive force in completing a goal.

February 1st, time to get on it if you have slacked. The year is YOUNG, don’t give up if you have; revisit, renew and refresh. If things didn’t pan out in the first 31 days, try adding one of the suggestions above to increase compliance. Heck, the year is only 8% done!  You have 92% of the year left, in school that would still be an A grade, so even if you suffered a setback, there is always time to start again.  As February greats us, make the move towards your goals and stay motivated!