Content provided by our partner Aaron Ellis, Live Life Moving ~
3 Questions to Help You Commit to your Goals
This year, finally accomplish your resolutions by making them meaningful and relevant to your life.
Finding Your Unique Reason “Why”
You are bombarded daily…HOURLY… with fitness and health tips from internet experts and Instagram fitness rock stars. They tell you in order to be “THAT HEALTHY PERSON”, You have to follow an intense program of daily 2-hour workouts, gallons of green juice and, the worst, no ice cream! You feel as if your resolutions are leading you to misery instead of making your life better! You can’t sustain the program and worse, feel like maybe being healthy just isn’t for you!
Maybe the problem with committing to the program is not you. Maybe it’s the program! While the advice may be good, many of these programs are created by people who LOVE working out or trying different diets. Your passions and values may be different from those of the rock star trainer. It’s difficult to sustain a program that doesn’t make sense for your life.
Successful habit change happens when you create healthy habits which align with your unique values and passions.
3 Questions to Help You Commit to your Goals
Rediscover the personal motivation behind your resolutions. Make a date with yourself, take yourself to a coffee shop, or your favorite desk or reading chair, pour a cuppa and reflect on these 3 questions:
1. Why Is My Goal Important To My Life?
Write down each of your goals, then for each goal ask yourself:
“Why does this goal enhance my life?”
And once you’ve answered that, ask again and again. For example: if your goal is to lose weight, ask yourself, “Why will losing this weight make my life better?” Maybe the answer is “because I’ll feel better not carrying this extra weight around?” Then dig deeper and ask why again:
“Why will carrying less weight around make my life better?”
Maybe the answer to that question is “Because I want to enjoy being active with my family”. You could even ask why again! The more specific the result of achieving your goal is, the more likely you are to attain it.
2. How Will My Goals Be Life Changing?
Next, write down how achieving this goal will change your life. Dare to dream! For example, ask yourself “How will losing weight be life changing?”
Will it change your status at work?
Will you feel less anxious?
Will it renew your confidence which will lead to new accomplishments?
Will it help you change your status at work?
Will you feel better being “out and about” and enjoy a larger social network?
Or will this achievement prove that you can still set your mind to a task and make it happen?
Find the ways that your new habit will be life changing to add further commitment to your change.
3. What Will Happen If I Don’t Change?
Then look at the opposite outcome. Think about what will happen if you don’t follow through.
For example, ask yourself “What will happen if I continue to gain weight or keep the weight on that I have?”
Is this change important because your health is at risk?
Is staying the same making your life better or worse?
Be objective, but kind as you put things in perspective.
Reflect and don’t be afraid to adjust
Once you have completed the last question, take time to go over your thoughts. Do you feel that the pros of incorporating these goals in your life outweigh the cons? Do you feel like these resolutions are truly YOURS, and not goals you think you are supposed to have? If the latter, don’t be afraid to go back and edit or even change your goals.
When you feel authentic in your resolution, the process of implementing them will become enjoyable and attainable.
Need help getting to the next step? Schedule an appointment with Aaron to help you navigate this most important phase.
Aaron Ellis is the owner of Live Life Moving, a fitness and well-being studio located in Downtown Asbury Park. Live Life Moving’s low impact fitness programs keep clients strong, healthy and active by incorporating Pilates equipment training, indoor cycling and strength training. Live Life Moving also provides healthy habit coaching using current behavior change research, empowering clients to make healthy choices that enhance their lifestyle.
Book your one on one session to either create a program at home, in our studio or a combination of both! Contact Aaron at 
www.livelifemoving.com/contact or by calling 732-361-3352.