I had plans to share a new plan on New Year’s Day. Of course, I was hit by a bug that I didn’t see coming. I should have. My husband was down for the count for several days. I called him “milkin’ it.” Now, he’s laughing at me and has shared his glee for the last several days, “Ha, you’re just milkin’ it!!!” Thank goodness, I’m able to stand up right now and am movin’ about.

So, as I’ve spent the last several New Year Days, laid out–NONE of my New Year Plans have begun. Does it matter? Are New Year Resolutions any different than new goals? Yes and No. There is definitely something to be said about starting a New Year! I’m always excited about the prospect of the New Year. But, I’m always excited about something trying something new or revisiting an old goal that didn’t quite make it to the top priority of years past.

Today, I got to thinking about how to ring in Go Workout Mom. It’s a New Year. It’s a New Day. Each day brings the promise of something new. My little ones are four and five now and they bring something new to each and every day. As you know, the mundane mix with the small surprises they throw our way. Whatever our plans, we can always look to a New Year and New Day with the anticipation of achieving our way.

This year, this day I am striving to be a better mother, wife, servant of the Lord, and example for others. I may slip. I will fall, but I will not give up in making a better way for others to follow.

What is your New Year/New Day Way?

The past few months have been another set of restructuring months in our home. I decided to leave the gym and partner with another trainer to establish a business in bootcamps, in-home personal training sessions, and corporate programs. Our home balance is shifting as my husband and I gear up for the school year as we are homeschooling our children.

In the mist of these changes, workouts have slipped. Where I would workout 4 to 5 times a week, these last few weeks have only consisted of one or two workouts a week. I can feel the drop in energy and increase in stress. With these factors, I have also seen a change in eating habits.

So, I know it’s time to reestablish the consistency of working out. It’s important to keep health a priority, and yet, I find myself slipping into the ease of “I just missed today, I’ll make it up tomorrow.” Until tomorrow becomes next week!

Here are the mantras that I’m repeating to myself and so far it’s worked out.

• Just do it, Cindy! — As a runner, I really dislike the first day or two after missing runs for several weeks. I have to remind myself that in a couple of days, I’ll feel so much better and energized to tackle the day. It’s just a matter of getting through those first 2 to 3 runs…
• More muscle means faster metabolism– I’m an eater. I really have a hard time shifting my diet. I’m working on it and continue to make better and better choices in food, but I see real results when I strength train. Feeling stronger really is empowering and I know that my body is burning calories at a higher rate when I strength train.
• It feels great to sweat. Yep, I love the high after a hard workout. It motivates me.

How about you? What are your mantras when you find yourself slipping?

Beware of limiting labels. Were you always “the smart one”? Or “the pretty one”, “the shy one”, “the athlete” or “the geek”? It’s difficult to escape childhood without being given a label. The labels may have been flattering or they may have been demeaning. In either case, chances are you lived up to the label you were given.

Think about it. Let’s say you were “the funny one.” The attention and praise you were showered with whenever you did something funny felt great, so you kept at it in order to receive that praise. But what happened when you wanted to be intelligent and serious? Chances are you didn’t take the risk. Venturing into the unknown and risking criticism or falling short of your goal wasn’t worth losing your tried and true role as the entertainer.

Even though a label may be flattering, it’s limiting because it can prevent you from stepping out of the comfort zone of how you’re being viewed and received. We fail to strive beyond our labels. Without the label, all areas are fair game as there are no expectations of how you should behave.

People love to categorize people, places and things. It is easier for many of us to organize and compartmentalize things when we know what category everything belongs in. If you grew up in a household with siblings, maybe each of you had your own label, which served as a way to easily describe you. “The smart one”, “the pretty one”, and “the baby” may have been descriptors that helped your parents easily introduce you to their friends, but these labels could also have held you back.

What about negative labels that we may have been given, or labels we may have interpreted to be negative? If it was said enough times, we probably just accepted it to be true. Unfortunately, this is how our belief systems are formed. Someone we trust (or a group, organization, society, etc.) says the same thing with conviction over and over again. Eventually we buy into it and it becomes part of our beliefs.

But what if that person or group that we trust was also on the receiving end of some limiting beliefs? As a result, they may be misinformed, may not know any better, and they unknowingly pass that damage along to you. Because of your trust and belief in that authority figure, you accepted the label (good or bad) that they placed on you.

For example, let’s say you had a parent who always called you “lazy”. Maybe they were trying to motivate you to be another way or maybe they thought it was an accurate description of how you behaved. In either case, you grew up thinking, “if they said it all those times, it must be true.” So when opportunities came up, you heard that ongoing tape in your head – “you’re lazy” – and figured that whatever was involved may take too much effort for you because you are just too lazy.

Here’s the good news – you can get rid of all of these limiting beliefs once you identify them, evaluate them and decide to discard them. Just as I keep saying, it’s our job to change what we don’t like. As I’ve also said, it may not be easy, but it’s so worth it.

Can you think of some instances where your labels stand in the way of the happy, healthy version of yourself that you want to be? Are you “the fun one” and that makes it difficult for you to say no to indulging at parties? Are you “the clumsy one” and that makes it difficult for you to try a new exercise routine?

What if you could throw away the old labels that aren’t contributing to your success and pick new ones that support your goals? What if you decided you were “the adventurous one”? Or “the healthy one”? Or “the happy one”? What would that version of you be able to do?

Debi Silber, MS, RD, WHC The Mojo Coach™ is a Registered Dietitian with a Master’s degree in Nutrition Science. She’s a Certified Personal Trainer, Whole Health Coach, Lifestyle Expert – just for moms, speaker and the author of The Lifestyle Fitness Program: A Six Part Plan So Every Mom Can Look, Feel and Live Her Best and From Mom To Wow: Your Ultimate Body, Mind and Life Makeover Guide. Debi’s been branded The Mojo Coach™ because for nearly 20 years she’s inspired and empowered overweight, overwhelmed and unfit moms to “get their mojo back” through gradual, lifestyle change. Sign up for a free report, 52 weeks of weekly tips and a subscription to Debi’s newsletter, Mojo Moments, at www.TheMojoCoach.com.