"New Year, New You?" Perhaps, but probably not.

Every year at around this time I turn into the "Incredible Hulk". Every time I see any one of the following statements/catch phrases/tag lines or memes I turn green, boil and seethe with anger and grow super tall, muscular and burst out of my racerback tank top and tights until the are little shreddies.
"New Year, NEW YOU!"
"Resolve to make big change happen in 2015!"
"Got a little chubby over the holidays? Try this diet/pill/coconut oil/scam....."
"Join our ______________ and be the best/fittest/richest/thinnest/prettiest/smartest you can be in 2015"

What was so wrong with you on December 31st that you must resolve to change yourself completely on January 1st?
And if so much is wrong that you must resolve to change it all (usually immediately) why, oh why, wait until January 1st to do it?

Look, if you need to make changes, you know it already. You know it in June, you know it on your birthday, on family Day, on Thanksgiving and Easter. You know it on Monday and you know it on Sunday, and every day that falls between. If you have unhealthy habits (and all of us in priviledged North America do - ALL of us) you know them. And you know they must be addressed. The sooner the better. And by you. You alone can make a plan to make positive changes in your life and you alone can make them stick around permanently.

Annie's Tips for Implementing Change and making it happen:

1. Don't set deadlines and start times. If something is worth improving, it's worth starting NOW. If your goal is to add more movement into your life, don't wait until January 1st. Go out for a walk today, even if it's ten minutes! Keep moving in small amounts and add on with other types of movement, longer times, classes, personal training - what ever you like. But get started.
If better nutrition is your goal, and you resolve to start eating healthy tomorrow - you know that your entire day will be spent consuming all the sugar and chocolate and chips in your postal code. Start with making better choices today, and slowly and surely making easily sustainable changes over time.
2. Know your weaknesses and confront them. Hate exercise or are unmotivated? Join a class, get a personal trainer, gather friends to move together and keep accountable. If chips are calling you from the cupboard, remove their salty little ripples from your life.
3. Challenge Your Fear. The toughest. What is the worst thing that is going to happen if you succeed? If you lose the weight you must in order to feel great and be healthy, you win. If this time nothing changes, well, you aren't any farther behind than you were. You have nothing, I repeat NOTHING, to lose.
4. Make a plan. Nothing happens without planning, goal setting and education. Sit down with a professional or a friend who has an eye for this type of thing, and come up with realistic goals and a basic,realistic plan to reach them. Realistic is the key here. Nobody likes to fail,so being sensible here is the key.
5. Find your why. I often have clients write down their anwers to the following questions:
a) Why is this goal/lifestyle etc..important to you? ( simply : Why must you change?)
b) Why did you choose unhealthy habits to be a part of your life? ( simply : Why did you get here?)

Everyone can make change happen. But don't start tomorrow. There is no better time than now.

Find Your CORE!