Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 96 – New Year’s Solutions

[Mahler]

Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 96 – New Year’s Solutions

Good morning, guys!

I offer my apologies for the missing Motivator for December 26th. I was out of town for the holidays and had little access to the computer. Besides, I have a feeling that most of you were still in celebration mode and were not looking for a lot of motivation or a guilt trip the day after Christmas. Like many of you, I gained a few pounds over the holidays. Even steering toward healthy food choices, the quantity can add up when you are having fun. Quite frankly, it is more important to celebrate with family and friends than to obsess about nutrition, at least once in a while. As I had planned my workouts carefully, the week of Christmas was my rest and recovery week after 8 weeks of Craig Balantyne’s “Barely Legal” routine. It was awesome, by the way. I did, however, manage to get in a few days of running while staying at a hotel.

But now, it’s time to get back into the routine and to make 2006 the best year ever. With that in mind, I would like to talk about Solutions. No, I did not spell that wrong. This is the time of year when everybody is making New Year’s Resolutions; you know, those little lies we tell ourselves to make us feel good and trick ourselves into thinking that we will somehow change the habits of a lifetime. Come on now, how many people do you know that follow through on their resolutions for any length of time? How many of us have, with the best of intentions, told ourselves that we will make, do, change, become, get, give, something that will improve our lives, only to find that a month later we are back in the same rut we were in before those noble words and intentions left our miserable, lying lips.

That is why I am urging you to forget making resolutions. Instead, I am challenging you to make Solutions. Screw the tradition and make this the time of year that you tell yourself the truth. Whatever it is that you promised yourself you will do in the coming year; whatever the changes that you have told yourself you will make; whatever it is that you have convinced yourself that you will become before the year is out, you will have a plan to make it happen. In short, you will have Solutions.

It’s easy to sit back and say to yourself, “I will build a house.” I ask you, where are the blueprints? How will you finance it? Who is your contractor? You have set a goal, but what are the solutions to all the problems that can keep you from attaining that goal?
Make all the resolutions you like. List your resolutions and tell all the world of your resolve. But, make those resolutions ring true by preparing, having a plan, overcoming obstacles. Set yourself up for success. It’s time to make Solutions.

= = = = = = = = = =

In Fitness & Friendship,
Mahler

[diamondpete]

I will build a machine!

QUESTION: I ask you, where are the blueprints?
SOLUTION: http://forums.jpfitness.com/

QUESTION: How will you finance it?
[b]SOLUTION: Blood, sweat, and tears

[b]QUESTION: Who is your contractor?
SOLUTION: Self-contractor

QUESTION: You have set a goal, but what are the solutions to all the problems that can keep you from attaining that goal?
SOLUTION: I'll get by with a little help from my friends


Thank you John for startingoff the year right! I know I will count on you to help me out EVERY Monday

Peter

[Chris Correia]

Nice, John. Happy new year!

[hard_rox]

Welcome back, Mahler. Thanks for you efforts with the MMMM. Great start for 2006.

[I. Kay]

But making lists of REsolutions is so much easier!!! Waaaaaah!

[castufari]

Very well said, Mahler.

Myself, I have goals. Resolutions can be broken too easily, they leave no room for adaptation. With goals you have milestones, little stopping points that you can use as a rest stop on your journey.

When I made my list of goals this year I also listed a roadmap (re: solutions) of how I'm going to get there. I gave myself some easy ones (drop another 15 pounds), some are hard (prep my house for selling, moving). With a list of solutions I already know what I have to do, which makes it a LOT easier.

Thanks again for the words of wisdom! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Rangrs2000]

Another great MMMM! Thank you Mahler.

When evaluating my aspirations for 2006, I set goals instead of resolutions. As you said, resolutions are too easy to toss aside and forget. On the other hand, Goals require hard work and dedication in order to achieve the desired results.

My goals are set. Come december, I look forward to letting everyone here know that I achieved all of my goals (and then some).

Happy New Year!

-Brian

[Rangrs2000]

Oops...double post

-Brian

[K-Court]

Welcome back, John. Glad you had a much-deserved good time with family. Instead of "I will build a house" though, shouldn't it be "I will build a brick sh*thouse"?? Thanks for the post, as always.

[Deserve]

Well you are full of it Rob....Happy new year all.

[RacerBill]

Thanks for another great MMMM!

Your depth of insight is always astounding. Here is is the second day of the new year and already you've got me re-thinking (or trashing) my "resolutions" and forming workable solutions. I needed that.

[FlyinM]

Timely.....I really need to rethink where I am headed. Well, not really where I am going, just how how to get there.

Thanks, John.

[Terry Monk]

Happy New Year John! Thank you!!!

[jj]

Thanks again John. Another good kick in the butt to start the year off right.

JJ

[Bond007]

Nice one, John! Thanks for the kick in the pants!

[Marykaa]

Thanks John for your Monday Morning wise thoughts.. but also.. I'm sure it takes some thinking during the week to choose the topic and what to write.. so thank-you for thinking about us.

And may you have a year full of luv and dancing.. if not on the dance floor then in your heart.
xxx
Mary-Lou