My Goals for this year? My goals for this year.

If you're a regular reader of this blog you'll know I'm not that interested in self indulging with my own life / opinions, I just like factual, to the point advice. So you might ask yourself why trust what I say?
The answer is simple, like all things in life its about extracting the useful information from what I write and incorporate it however you see fit.

I write about my journey, not just physically life changes but also ones regarding the mind. When I learn something I share it here, it's not just for the benefit of the readers but also a way of storing my own discoveries so I can reflect and perfect things learnt.

I'm working towards getting the body I want and working towards for-filling all the things I want to achieve, life is non-stop and time waits for no man (or woman).

It would seem that, only naturally, there has been a fresh influx of viewers to the blog I thought I'd share my ambitions for this year and my "New Years resolution"; I'll also explain why this is a new thing for me and more importantly why this is in the ADVENTURE section.

Why I disagree with New Years Resolutions:

Why is it only the start of the year people decide to make life changes? 

New year, new start, is what the majority of people will say. For me my perspective is more "seize the day" than maybe in January.

If you want to make life changes, do them as soon as possible!! Acting on a problem is like pushing a large rock down a hill, its a hard push getting that rock to move but once its set in action and starts rolling (Equivalent to making and keeping a routine).

So it's not that I'm ANTI resolution / change / thing's being given up, it's more the mentality that this can only occur in January 1st.

Why I am going to make a New Years Resolution... or not really:

I'm going to be making something similar to a NYR, except mines a little different to accommodate my views on only making changes once a year.

It shall be called: NEW YEARS MILESTONES, or NYM for an abbreviation.
Why?
Well It's not making resolutions and general life changes that is the problem, anyone can talk about what they want to do but as the saying go's "Actions Speak Louder Than Words".

So set milestones, things to have achieved by a certain time, make them manageable and not too difficult.

Why is this an adventure?

Whenever you undertake any life changes it's important to not only do it for a valid reason but also to enjoy the outcome of the change.

For example many people try to diet or lose weight through an eating habit change, but sadly, usually fall at one of the following hurdles:

• Drown in all the tides of information available on the subject, magazines contradicting each-other and all the fads and products they tell you to use or avoid.
  Solution:
  There is a lot of information, but the basics are simple, avoid high saturated foods, foods that have been processed a lot and don't eat more calories than you need to expend.
  
  
• Unable to keep up a healthy eating pattern, pushed for time you often find yourself making unhealthy compromises and thus slipping back to old habits.
  Solution:
  This is why you'll need structure, forward planning and backup solutions like a small healthy emergency food supply, make a chart for the week and buy everything you need in advance.
  
  
• The cost of "Health Foods" seems disproportionally high, and not a viable route for your own economic situation.
  Solution:
  While in the UK fresh fruit and vegetables are not cheap they are however easy to process into a more useful and economic source. For example making various big soup batches and freezing them and just heating as when needed. Try and use all parts of what you use and limit waste, things like herbs can be grown at home with ease.
  
  
• Some people take up a resolution with a friend or group of people for "support", but as soon as members succumb to some of the previous pitfalls.
  Solution:Always make a resolution for yourself, you should not really need support from other people if you have the drive and fire needed to make the change work, forget what people think or say, the changes YOU want are for YOU, not them. For motivation just think about the end goal and how you will feel having achieved it, and you will with that mentality.
  
• The most common of all, is to view only the negatives attached to the diet. "I can't eat this, or shouldn't eat that" but never focus on the positives like "I want to look like this, I want ot feel like that", this is something I call Short-term thinking, and is the main problem.

Solution:
While most changes require something to be given up or at least cut down it's worth looking at this in the abstract, yes you're giving up eating chocolate cake every week, but there is nothing stopping you once you've achieved some of your goals and feel comfortable in your control to treat yourself to a slice once in a while, its about moderation (not with smoking however). Just remember, the person you'll be after the goal, how that person feels, how much happier you are. After all this is the precise reason you want the change in the first place!



Ok so as promised I'd add my own personal goals, so you have a perspective as to what I'm trying to achieve, and while my list might look daunting I've been doing this for a while now and know what I can and cannot cope with, so this is by no means a guild line for other peoples list, you should have at least 3 items however spread across the year.

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 ~ January ~
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Keep up with diet, maintaining good discipline with the odd treat to keep me from straying off the path.
Make sure to keep my workout days high protein.

Tick box's: VICTORY [  ]   DEFEAT [ ]

Finally get some sort of consistent employment / keep up with freelance work.

Tick box's: VICTORY [  ]   DEFEAT [ ]




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 ~ February ~

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I'd like to start running and cycling more seriously, Monday and Friday All being total Cardio days, either in the Gym or jogging / cycling outside.

Tick box's: VICTORY [  ]   DEFEAT [ ]


Work on a few projects to try and earn a lot of money, as well as learning new ways to manage my finances.

Tick box's: VICTORY [  ]   DEFEAT [ ]




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~ March ~

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To be able to comfortably:

1. Bench press 80kg on the smith machine
2. Squat 120kg on the smith machine
3. Single Dumbbell row 35KG
4. Dumbbell Press 30KG
5. Legpress (8 reps) 220 KG

Tick box's: VICTORY [  ]   DEFEAT [ ]


Buy some new clothing and feel good enough about my body to post a progress photo on a fitness related site.

Tick box's: VICTORY [  ]   DEFEAT [ ]




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 ~ April ~

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 Get to my target weight of 11.5 stone.

Tick box's: VICTORY [  ]   DEFEAT [ ]



Work on the Business and hope to have the finances to inject into making it completely viable.

Tick box's: VICTORY [  ]   DEFEAT [ ]





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 ~ May ~

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Start really concentrating on a month of Digital painting, not done it in a while and I need ot get back up to speed plus its therapeutic.

Tick box's: VICTORY [  ]   DEFEAT [ ]

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 ~ June ~

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Make sure to camp at a remote island I know for a day or 3.

Tick box's: VICTORY [  ]   DEFEAT [ ]


Keep my diet on track, making sure I'm not making any mistakes and learn a few new recipes and tricks.

Tick box's: VICTORY [  ]   DEFEAT [ ]



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 ~ July ~

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Start to learn a new martial art and finally finish reading Sun Tzu's "The Art Of War"

Tick box's: VICTORY [  ]   DEFEAT [ ]



Be comfortable topless in public, not to show off but more to just regain confidence in my appearance.

Tick box's: VICTORY [  ]   DEFEAT [ ]





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~ August ~

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Go on an adventure.

Tick box's: VICTORY [  ]   DEFEAT [ ]





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~ September ~

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Check how my strength is coming along and document the readings, up weight and reps.

Tick box's: VICTORY [  ]   DEFEAT [ ]




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 ~ October ~

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BLANK MONTH
Do things not accomplished in previous months.




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 ~ November ~

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BLANK MONTH
Do things not accomplished in previous months.




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 ~ December ~

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Make sure to have gone Abroad at LEAST once during the year.

Tick box's: VICTORY [  ]   DEFEAT [ ]

See in the new year eve watching fireworks in a different country.

Tick box's: VICTORY [  ]   DEFEAT [ ]

So there you have it, it took much longer to write up than necessary but at least now you can see what my milestones are for this year, things might get moved about or changed but that is the basic principal, if I achieve all of these then I can be happy with my year!

I'll also (at the end of the month) Post if I was successful or not in my goals, if I'm not then the most important thing to do is work out why, and then learn from that failure as that is the only way we as people can improve!

I wish you all the best of luck in your resolutions or milestones, I'll post again soon back onto topic.
Remember if there is something specific you want me to cover then hit me a message and I'll do my best to meet your request.

Next post will be:  HOW TO REPLACE THE GYM!
(A post about how to do all you need at home for the price of a few months gym membership)

Peace!