Hurdles. Not the metal and wood hurdle found on a running track but rather the hurdle that is a metaphor for making something we want to do difficult to achieve.
You have to jump over the hurdles if you want to succeed in your New Year's resolution to walk or run more often. Sure, it's hard to get out on the trail for a three-mile walk when it's sprinkling or the temperature is 30 degrees. Or perhaps you are one of the thousands of Central Texans suffering from mountain cedar pollen which renders even the strongest immune system helpless and you sink into being a sniffly, leaky, teary-eyed sack of bones.
We all have our hurdles. That's probably why most New Year resolutions don't continue past January only to be taken up again year after year for four weeks or less. Perhaps you think that becoming a fitness fanatic or having all the barriers removed for you will make sticking to your resolutions easier. But likely it won't.
There will always be something that can keep those pursuing fitness from that three-mile walk. Temperatures are either too cold or too hot, conditions are too wet or too dry, there's insufficient parking, too much dust, or just plain not enough time in the day. There will always be hurdles to overcome. Those days where everything falls into place are very few. The chances that the planets will align with your schedule and the weather will be perfect at the same time your body itches to be outside doing something may only happen three times per year.
Nobody can get fit working out only three times per year. Research shows that only one in five individuals who make a New Year's Resolution will stick with it for six months or more. So, what to do?
If we can't motivate ourselves to push resolutions past January, then we must rely on others to help us out. Engage with others and enlist their help. Join a running group or find a running buddy. Just the commitment of meeting someone else will help motivate you both to show up for the workout. Even if you don't know anybody suitable in your immediate social circle, these days it's easy to connect online.
Forums on the Runtex Web site help connect individuals with similar interests and the site lists several free groups throughout the community where runners get together, generally on a weekly basis. Sites such as Meetup.com post runner's groups in your area or perhaps your employer's internal site offers you options to join others in their fitness pursuits. Even the social media spaces such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter help you connect with others who can help you out. One of my friend's current status message reads: 'Anyone want to be my running buddy?'
If you can apply a little creative planning and get a little help from your friends now and then, the hurdles you face will become small and the resolution achievable. Once over the hurdles, perhaps your new active habits will continue forever. Good running!