Every new year thousands if not millions of people will attempt to improve their lifestyle by making commitments to themselves and others.   With great earnest millions of promises will be made to eat healthier foods, reduce body fat, increase physical activity, stop smoking, reduce alcohol drinking and reduce stress.  Nevertheless, come 2009 there will be many broken promises.  

Why? Why do so many people with honest intensions, fall short of their goals?
I have been a personal trainer for over 20 years.  In that time, I have witnessed hundreds of sincere people never reach their self proclaimed health and fitness goals.  I have studied and researched every aspect of exercise and nutritional science literally on a daily basis in an effort to guide those who have enlisted my services to successfully achieve their goals, yet still there are those who never make it.  No matter how accurate the information, no matter how effective the techniques, still!  There are those who choose to make choices which are counterproductive to their desired goals. 

This phenomenon had perplexed me for many years, until one summer I decided to investigate why people make poor choices in their lifestyle habits.   I questioned hundreds of people as to what they were thinking at the moment they made that poor choice. 

The result s were astonishing, 100% of the people had the exact same reason.  They all said to themselves “I don’t care this time”.  Now, although the reason was the same for everyone, it was the justification that was different.  See if you have ever used one of these justification’s.

If you have ever used one of these justifications (and I know you have) try this; the next time you reach for that little something you shouldn’t or you decide your not going to get up and go exercise, ask yourself which one of the reasons am I going to use and is it “really” justifiable this time, chances are you will say “no, maybe not this time”.

Here’s the bottom line, if you are truly committed to making a difference in the quality of your life this coming new year, than you have to care more times than you don’t, no matter how fitting the justification is “this time”.