Back in December, we talked about planning your New Year’s resolutions and how you could go about getting positive results. Unfortunately, the current pandemic situation has either altered or halted our goals. The good news is, we can use this as a new opportunity to reassess and start over. Will your post-quarantine resolutions be brand new goals or a variation of your New Year’s plan?
A New Opportunity
By March, right before the pandemic affected fitness centers, many people had already lost sight of their New Year’s resolutions. That’s not to say that they had given up on fitness entirely, but motivation to complete New Year’s resolutions tends to wane as the year goes on. After a couple months of the clubs being closed, we weren’t able to exercise in our typical fashion and some of us might have stopped altogether. You may have lost your workout momentum and felt like you were struggling on your own at home. And that’s ok. Now is your time to get back on track.
Let’s look at the silver lining. This pandemic may have prevented us to exercise the way we were accustomed, but it also grants a new starting point for fitness resolutions. Ask yourself, “What do I miss and how do I take advantage of life more after this is all over?”
Goals give us purpose. They give us an end result to work towards and drive us to work harder. Let’s view this as a new opportunity to start over. Now that the clubs are open again, we can create “post-quarantine resolutions” and treat this time as if it were January 1st.
Being in our homes may have allowed for bad habits to creep in like unconscious snacking or lack of movement. We need to get back to taking care of ourselves by exercising more and eating healthy. Let’s take a look at how to develop post-quarantine resolutions.
A New Plan
Now that we’ve got a clean slate, we’ll need a new plan to accomplish our health and fitness goals. Just as we did with our New Year’s, we’ll need to set parameters so we can measure our progress. You might even just take your previous New Year’s plan and alter the timeline and use this month as your new “New Year.”
A good plan should follow the SMART methodology (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely). A post-quarantine resolution that follows the SMART methodology might look like this: “I want to lose the quarantine 15 over three months.” This may seem basic but it’s got a specific numeric weight loss target that’s easily measurable, relevant to the current situation, achievable in a healthy manner, and has a set timeline.
Take Action & Track Your Progress
You obviously can’t make any progress if you don’t get out and take action! Some may not be comfortable returning to the club right away and that’s ok. We’ll be here for you when you’re ready to return. Whether you’re itching to get back to the fitness center or still working out at home, we advise you to start out slow and ease your way back to a new routine. Before long, you’ll feel like you never took a break at all.
Tracking your progress is just as important because you can’t know how far you have left to go if you don’t know how far you’ve come. If you need help with incremental tracking, we’ve created a weekly habit tracker and worksheet to make it easier. You can find the download link at the bottom of this blog.
Overcoming Setbacks
Setbacks will always happen. The true test of character is how you overcome them. We are navigating through challenging and unprecedented times where the “normal” we were used to might not return for quite some time. Success will come from finding motivation, mindfulness, taking action, and problem-solving whenever you encounter new challenges. Incorporate an alternative course of action into your initial plan if something doesn’t work out the way you thought. A well-thought-out plan will ensure you’ll see results in no time!
Struggling on your own? We’re here to help. Click the button below to download the Weekly Habit Tracker & Worksheet so you can accomplish your new Post-Quarantine Resolutions!
Download Weekly Habit Tracker & Worksheet