"Resolve" is a Verb.

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At this this most wonderful time of the year a lot of ink is spread all over the usual media outlets regarding how you can "keep" your "New Year's Resolutions (NYRs)". Of the Top 10 most common NYRs more than half are health and wellness related, which should not surpise anyone who has tried to find a 45 pound plate at the gym the first week of January. Recent data indicates that 88% of NYRs are not kept at all, and 45% are gvien up on within the first 30 days. That means that a whole bunch of unhealthy people stay unhealthy year after year.      I think I know why. 

Most people think of NYRs as a list on a sheet of paper. Maybe it's on your refrigerator, or your bathroom mirror, or your screen saver (I did that one year - it didn't work).  In the end, the word "resolution" becomes synomymous with "list". I think that it's because they are  both nouns that don't, in and of themselves, describe any action  How many of you make a to-do list every day and then re-prioritize it so you avoid either (a) the hardest thing on your list; or (b) the one that makes you actually get up and move away from that protective cocoon of your office space and venture out into the world?  This latter affiliction is only enhanced in the dark days ofwinter, where short days and bad weather can be a convenient excuse to re-write something like "work out" on "tomorrow's" list. Eventually, "tomorrow" becomes "never".

"Resolve", on the other hand, is a verb. When you "resolve" to do something, you are making an oath. You are publicly stating that you are commiting to do something. Saying  "I resolve to make daily  investments in my health, nutrition, and fitness" is a commitment.  It also lacks absolutes, and I suspect that people will criticize that as being "too subjective". But if you resolve to make those investments, you don't need a list, and you will create habits that will last forever. Here are the four things I suggest you resolve to do in 2018.

1. Get a physical exam. You can paint with whatever colors you want to once the canvas is prepared.  Don't assume that you're healthy, especially if you're over 50. Once you have the physical and learn exactly where you stand it will be liberating and serve as a catalyst for more wellness investments. 
2. Drink more water.  It doesn't matter how much more. Just make it more than you drink now. Is it a pint, a quart, or a gallon?  Who cares. 
3. Track what you eat. As an executive, you have probably said "You can't manage what you don't measure" about 10,000 times. Go to the App Store, search for MyMacros+ , pay the $2.95 and start using it.  Changes in body compoisiton come from a combination of caloric and nutrient adjustments. Before you decide on a meal plan, determine where your starting point.  
4. Put a "fitness appointment" on your daily calendar.  People respect those who codify commitments. Make it a recurring appointment for the entire year so you see it every day. Over time you will build a force field around your workout time, which will give you more freedom to do more.  

That's it.  I can fill in the rest for you.  Just resolve to do those four things. What will happen is that you will realize how easy it is to make changes and then you can expand your wellness investments organically.  

I'd certainly appreciate the opportunity to coach you through the process and add a level of accountabilty as you resolve to increase your wellness investments  I can be reached directly at 407.717.1540, at 3Sigmawellness@gmail.com, on Twitter @3Sigmawellness, or Intstagram at 3Sigmawellness.