Breaking Habits, Establishing Habits and Trade Offs

Happy New Year!  And yes, I do have an extraordinary 2013 swing workout to share with you, but first let's share some thoughts on New Years Resolutions...shall we?

I really wanted to resist jumping on the Resolution band wagon, BUT....January 1st, the very first day of a new calendar year is just so juicy!  It's a big, bold, event in our 'time based' culture, and I, for one, as much as I want to rebel against using this day, this date, as a 'marker', I find it just too...well....alluring!

First of all, what is a resolution?  To me. when I think of something I want to change about me, or my life, it always relates to a habit that no longer serves me in a way that helps me be, or become, or live the life that makes, or helps to make me, feel my absolute best.  So I think about resolving to some sort of change.  I've had 'tastes' of feeling my absolute best, and let me tell you.....I've visited that place numerous times, but I don't 'live' there!  I want to live there, I want to reside at my feeling my best!  Although I've made many permanent changes in my habits of health and fitness there are a few more 'details' that somehow elude me.

Let's get on with it, shall we?  New Years Resolution:

#1  And this happened to me today.  I never, ever, ever again, want to react in a way that I buy food, especially 'treats' because they are on sale.  (breaking habit)

This should be interesting.  Today I bought 9 bags of candy because it was marked down on sale after the Holiday....and I only bought nine bags because I only had $11 in cash!  (even I won't use a credit card for candy on sale...maybe....ok, I admit I would, but I didn't today!)  I've written about it many, many times before and today was the final straw.  No more silliness.

#2  I really, really, really, want to balance out my training.

I love doing what I'm good at!  That explains why I'm not good at doing other things!  I've got to stop over training my strengths and start incorporating training some of my weaknesses.  I've got to pull back on so much ballistic training and add in a progressive approach to other types of physical skills because I want to be good at other things.  I want to be able to do strong push ups and pull ups, head stands, hand stands.  I want to be able to have the ankle flexibility required for squats and pistols.  I want to be able to run a mile or two (did I say run?  I meant, maybe, jog!)...and I want to increase my absolute strength.

I don't feel bad about myself that I can't 'do it all', but I want to round out some of my training to improve my overall physical conditioning. (establishing habits)

#3  I want my bicep vein back!

In other words, I want to be a little bit leaner.  Currently I weigh 140lbs, give or take 2lbs depending on what day of the week it is!.  I feel super great at 135-137lbs, and I feel super duper great at 134lbs.  I know it may seem like nothing, and I remember weighing 250lbs thinking I would feel super duper great at 200lb!  Seriously I remember what that was like...I do.

Some of my readers may think that 2 lbs one way or another, what am I complaining about?  I'm not complaining.  I take full responsibility for where I am, and what I weigh.  It's not a mystery.  I'm not a victim of the fat fairy.  I know what I need to do, and the eating habits I need to change to create a lighter, leaner body weight.  How much do I want it, and will it, in fact, make me feel happier?  Hmnn...something to think about.  So far, the trade offs haven't felt worth it, or I would have done it, and I'd be doing it now.  How badly do I want that bicep vein?  (trade-offs)

Oh, I've got a few more, probably.  But I'm going to start here.

#1 Don't buy any foods on sale.  Ever.  Period.  Over.

#2 Incorporate regular, at least 30 minutes of, training the skills needed to feel like a more 'rounded out' athlete.  Even if that means subtracting 30 minutes of ballistic training.

#3 Put up or shut up.  Counting calories?  Absolutely.  I know exactly how many calories I can consume to get 'leaner'.  Do I really want to make those trade offs?  Maybe, maybe not.  I'm cool with either/or, BUT, I need to never bitch about the result.  'Rock' the 140lbs and feel fabulous about it, or quit with the extra 500 daily calories that are keeping that bicep vein from making a permanent appearance!

These are some high quality problems for sure!  How freakin' lucky are we?

What's keeping you from truly enjoying all that you have so far?  Breaking an old habit, establishing a new?  Or deciding the value of trade-offs?  You can change it you know.  But will you?  Will I?  I'm going to say YES!

PS  in my opinion this sentence is really telling of what I need to do:
"How much do I want it, and will it in fact, make me feel happier?"
Feeling happier might bring, no, it will bring, what I want.  It's not the other way around.
"Feeling happier for what I have now, which is amazing, will, in fact, give me what I want."

Feeling happy is the end result. Bicep vein or no bicep vein, candy on sale or full price, what brings you happiness, contentment, pride, confidence?  Those feelings trump all.