New Year's resolutions are a popular annual tradition that often include the same resolutions over and over. Even though we swear that this is the year that we will eat better, exercise regularly and follow our big dreams it never seems to materialize. It's easy to blame it on the economy, our stressful job, lack of time or money but in reality the real reason that most of our resolutions fail is a lack of energy.
If you've ever made up a weekly schedule that gives you enough time for everything on your to-do list, you'll notice it never seems to work out. Even though we can schedule things like gym time and picture how great we would look if we went to the gym consistently, it is hard to muster enough energy to get out of bed early enough to hit the gym before work. Conserving enough energy to exercise after a long day of work is even harder. All resolutions require extra energy, and if your day-to-day life already leaves you exhausted, you'll never get around to fulfilling your plans.
A lack of energy is often confused with a lack of time. We constantly hear people say they don't have time to follow through with their resolutions. Yet if you look how they spend their day, there are times spent browsing websites, watching mindless television and other non-productive activities.
While I'm not saying you should never have downtime or breaks, these breaks should leave you rejuvenated. I don't know about you, but I've never jumped off the couch after watching a TV show and felt more energized than before and ready to tackle the world.
Having more energy requires being disciplined to get enough sleep, eat right, exercise and follow proven strategies. While this does take up time, it leaves you more physically and mentally alert to face the day. I know when I stay up too late one night, the next day drags on. Even though I may have gotten an extra hour of work in, my productivity for the next day is severely impacted and negates the extra work I did the night before.
As motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said, "We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret." In 2012, I encourage you to start becoming disciplined in your personal life in order to maximize your energy and conquer your New Year's resolutions once and for all.
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For more information on maximizing your energy, you can download a free guide to "10 Essential Steps for High Energy" on my website at CarolynAndersonMD.com/energy.