Can you venture a guess as to what the two most common New Year’s resolutions are? Most surveys and research have “lose weight” and “get fit” ranked at the top of the list.

I talk to people every day who have a desire to improve their health, to look and feel better, to have more energy, and to avoid injuries and illness. The evidence is in the fact that proper diet and regular exercise have been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man.

Yet, while most of us have a desire to be healthier and reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, not many of us reach our resolutions related to health and fitness. In fact, recent research regarding wellness related “resolutions” shows that eighty-eight percent (88%) failed in their resolve to improve health and lose weight.

Why? Why do you think the failure rate is so high given the known benefits of health and fitness?

Lasting Change Starts On The Inside

Here’s my take. Most diet and health books focus on changing the outside, the physical appearance of the body. When the focus is placed on the external, there tends to be a neglect of the more important internal factors.

Most people struggle and fail because nothing has changed on the inside, they fail to plan, and they don’t set specific goals. If we have a true interest in changing our physical condition and health, the first “muscle” we have to prepare and train is not the biceps or the triceps or even the gluteus maximus… it’s our “mental muscle”.

I believe that losing weight or building health/wellness into my life is as much about my “mental muscle”, my motivation, my desire, and my discipline as it is about diet and exercise.

This is because my body is a reflection of my mind.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

In my days as a professional football athletic trainer, I learned a lot about personal and team success. In order to achieve the goal of winning on the football field, the most important training for the team and each player is mental preparation, not physical training.

Physical training is important to be sure, especially in professional football, but great coaches and players all know that mental preparation is even more important.

Do you know that pro football teams and players spend at least 3 hours of mental training and preparation  for every 1 hour of physical training?

Exercise Your “Mental Muscle” First

We cannot underestimate the importance of the mental approach for building wellness from the inside out. To improve our health and wellness, we must first start with building and training our “mental muscle.”  Remember – what the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve!  We are transformed first and foremost by a renewing of our mind. If we have a desire to improve our health, it starts with exercising our “mental muscle”.

In my next blog, I’ll share a story that helped me understand the importance of spending the necessary time to properly plan, goal setting, and achieving greater resolve and results.

Have you made a New Year’s resolution? If so, how have you set yourself up for success? Please let us know in the comments below!