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Sure, you’ve jotted down various New Year’s years resolutions before, hoping that they will inspire you to “be better,” “do better” and “live better.” But have you ever actually followed through? Admit it, you probably have a collection of neglected resolutions hiding in your closet. If you do, though, don’t feel embarrassed because you’re part of the great majority.
Maybe you swore to lose 10 pounds by the next ball drop in New York City or maybe you promised to dedicate 10 minutes each morning to meditation. Regardless of what resolution you made, you probably have one thing in common with your neighbor; you’re part of the 92 percent of Americans who fail to achieve their New Year’s Resolution. For several years, I was yet another victim of this statistic.
But not this year – and though I know the war is not yet won, the battle feels like it is. Like many people, I wanted to exercise more this year. Originally, I wanted to lose weight, but I ended up gaining something far more priceless.
Now, nod your head if this story sounds familiar: woman wants to lose weight; she tries out a new exercise routine; she sees very few results … then she ditches her marathon dreams for Netflix marathons. Before this year, that was my basic exercise history.
Initially, I didn’t plan on changing that in 2016. When the New Year rolled around, I told myself, “No more empty promises.” I didn’t want to make a New Year’s resolution I knew I wasn’t going to keep – so I resolved to not make any resolution at all. Clever, right? I certainly thought so.
Like so many women, I struggled with self-love and feeling beautiful. I would look at myself in the mirror and become upset; the person staring back was filled with flaws. I didn’t like my hair, skin, body, smile; you’ve heard all this before.
Yet, as January crawled to an end, it hit me: if I never tried to change, I would never see the change I wanted. Like many women, self-love and I weren’t exactly going steady. When I stared into the mirror, I only saw flaws … my list of complaints never ended. Now, I should probably mention that my body image issues weren’t just skin-deep. By BMI standards, I fall below the “normal weight” arrow, but “lose weight” has topped my to-do list for years. I wanted more than to be skinny like the celebrities and supermodels that smile from the grocery checkout line – I wanted to be happy with myself. When I finally realized that I would always be “too busy” to work out, I knew it was my job to make time and make progress in self-love.
I started small, running one mile. By the end of it, I felt like Hilary Duff in “Cadet Kelly,” only I was my own drill sergeant. But I did it. That week, I carved time in my schedule each day to run one mile. By the time one month passed, running felt like a normal part of my routine. This was usually the point at which the lack of progress killed my motivation, so I upped the challenge: I increased my distance and then added other exercises into my makeshift fitness program. I lost a couple of pounds here and there, but nothing major.
This cycle continues today but I no longer feel the need to lose weight. After I hit month two of exercising, I noticed I’d gained something even better than abs or a Kardashian-worthy booty; I could appreciate myself. I packed my schedule with full-time school, work, and two internships, yet I still managed to make time to work out every day. My body hasn’t changed much, but my self-image has. That woman staring back at me is tough and I’m proud of that. My body may never match a Victoria Secret model’s, but that’s okay. I have more good days than bad and feel better about myself.
I have also learned the importance of momentum. At times, all I want to do after work is to flop on the couch and flip on the TV. If I allow myself to fall victim to these excuses, I know I will end up going for weeks without exercising. Instead, I change my workouts to match my energy levels each day. If all I can do is power-walk, that’s okay, as long as I get my heart racing for a little bit. Remember the high of your first promotion? Pushing yourself to work out after a tough day in the office can fill you with just as much pride and accomplishment.
Your body is beautiful. The next time you make a New Year’s Resolution, make a promise that will help you see that.
