IT'S SABOTAGE! Revise your Resolutions!

WRONG. It's ALL WRONG. 

DO NOT LISTEN TO THE (photoshopped)ABOVE GRAPHIC!

I apologize in advance to the creator of this original image (without my added "WRONG!"), the person who likely photoshopped the model, the fitness blog to which it belongs (which I will not post simply because I don't want to propagate such a negative idea), and most of all to YOU, my reader, for having to view it. I honestly hate seeing it up there. But for now, it's a necessary evil, if only to deconstruct the entire idea! 

How did I find it? I stumbled upon this pin today looking for positive imagery to motivate my healthy lifestyle and I had to pause for a moment, ruminating over how entirely wrong and volatile it was. I'll debunk this horrible sentiment in a moment...but first...

ARE YOU A VICTIM OF SOME "SELF/FITNESS" MAGAZINE? 

I was. FOR YEARS. Barraged by images of unattainable fitness and airbrushing, I subjected myself to these magazines for what I THOUGHT was motivation, but what I discovered was that I was actually doing something entirely different. Before we go any farther, I'm not suggesting that you never use images of what you'd LIKE to be for inspiration--I do this often myself, and I especially enjoy posting humorous graphics about running! I'm merely suggesting that you pay careful attention to the words and ideas you are feeding your mind, because you might discover you are doing what I was doing:

I WAS INTENTIONALLY PUNISHING MYSELF. 

In between artistic images of quinoa dishes and gigantic, dewy pictures of fresh blueberries, a sinister force waited to knock me down and steal the wind out of my sails. The January and February issues were always the worst. With each flip of the page, slender yoga models caused me to meditate over how my body 'could never look like that'. Yet, it was time for a "new year, and a new me". It was time to "lose the flab and be fab". February was the perfect season for my "beach ready abs"! IT WAS TIME TO SHAVE EVERYWHERE AND WHITEN MY TEETH!!! MY CURRENT EARTHLY VESSEL WAS FLAWED AND BEYOND SALVAGING! Have you fallen prey to those New Year's magazine subscriptions or supposedly "inspirational" Pinterest pins? How are those unrealistic, self-deprecating New Year's resolutions working out for you? Yeah...me, too. 

I know it's hard. We can never be perfect. And we always bite off more than we can chew. And damnit, our intentions are SOO good!

As we celebrate our last day of the first month of 2014, I'd like to offer a REVISED New Year's resolution you'll never read in a fitness magazine:

"This is your year to start the lifelong journey to your best, healthy self. Your best, healthy self is unique, and simply can't be quantified by weight, image or other physical descriptors. It means inside and outside physical and mental health, self-love, and peace. You can take big or small steps to get there now, but it's a journey you'll be taking for the rest of your life, and there will be up and down roads. You'll need to be gentle with yourself, and love yourself--you deserve it. You'll need to feed yourself quality foods. It helps to move your body in a way that invigorates you and makes you feel your best. Do it for your mind--not for your abs."

I know, it doesn't fit nicely over an image like the one above. 

Ugh...that image. 

I don't even want to waste too much time with it, but I have to call attention to some MAJOR flaws with this sort of punishing reinforcement.

Negative/punishing reinforcement: what is it? Well, put simply, it is motivating because we know the outcome of a poor decision will be bad. "Don't touch that stove--you'll get burned!" Or "Don't get pregnant at 16, or this could happen to you!" (Thanks, MTV.)

The only problem with negative/punishing reinforcement is that our child-like sub-conscious is ever-so-delicate, and absorbs suggestion like a sponge. Consider, for example, that a child is running down the hallway, and you scream from behind them:

"DON'T RUN!!! DON'T RUN!! DON'T RUN!!"

This is what they hear: "RUN!!! RUN!!! RUNNNNN!!!"

How do I know this? 16 years of working in education, 6 years of college instruction for elementary education, and being a mom. 

Instead, if we're smart, we say, "Walk. Use your walking feet. Walk carefully."

So please consider that, in the above graphic, what your ever-so-delicate subconscious will hear is:

"FAT! UNHEALTHY! FAT! UNHEALTHY!"

FORGET THAT.

Here's what you're going to say instead:

"This is the first day I am fit and healthy." And the next day, when you get up, feeling stronger than before, you'll say "Another day of being fit and healthy!" 

AND THE NEXT DAY: MORE! 

AND THE NEXT WEEK: MORE!

AND THE NEXT MONTH: "I'm a damn CHAMPION!"

That's how we're doing things this new year.

GOT IT? ;)