How to Stop the Mid-Year Slump -- and Keep Your New Year High!

It usually starts around February, sometimes as late as March. The excuses come, "I can't exercise today because I have to go into the office early... my son has a dentist appointment... I'm just too tired today..." Bottom line, the New Year euphoria wears off. If you feel yourself starting to slide, the good news is that it doesn't have to happen.

Your dreams and desire of your New Year High are at the heart of time management from the inside out. I believe you can accomplish anything you want if you put your mind to it. First you must be crystal clear on what you want. Becoming crystal clear on what you want is important. There is a difference between being committed to a healthy, fit lifestyle; to a healthy, fit tone body; to losing 20-30 pounds, rather than being interested in living a healthy, fit lifestyle, having a healthy, fit body, and losing 20-30 pounds.

When you take the time to look at the bigger picture of your life and look at what you want, you allow your authentic self to flourish.

Visualize your best self. To do that, move away from limitations of the current moment, your perceived obstacles, and shine your spotlight on your full potential.

The definition of commitment that I like is this: "The ability to carry through with a worthy decision, even when the emotion or excitement of making that decision has passed." Think about it. It's easy to get excited about starting a fitness program and dream about all the possibilities, but eventually the alarm clock goes off and you have to put on your workout shoes and do it.

So what will get you out of bed instead of hitting the snooze button? What will help you differently this time so you no longer go through the emotional pain of gaining your weight back once you have lost it?

We once interviewed Dr. Nick Yphantides on LYPB who was once the most obese physician in the United States, weighing almost 500 pounds. He had a bout with testicular cancer, which woke him up. Dr. Nick's process to making life long changes was instigated once he realized, 'You have to change the way you see before you can change the way you look.'

In his book, My Big Fat Greek Diet, he shares his knowledge from what he has learned along the way of losing 270 pounds and NOT finding it again. He has learned that anything short of true change is pointless.

I'm sure there were many times when the emotion or excitement of making this big decision has passed such as now with your New Year's Resolution. Dr. Nick needed to re-think the way he was going about his life and his body. He called it re-wiring his brain.

So what is your "why," your bigger picture goal? What do you really want out of your life? What do you need to 'see' before you can change the way you 'look?'

Amy Lundberg - owner of Aim For It Fitness Coaching LLC - is a best-selling author, certified Intuitive Eating Coach, Personal Fitness Trainer and Lifestyle Fitness Coach. Free gift audio: http://www.aimforfitness.com/freegift.htm