It’s 2018, and I know what you’re probably thinking about: those dreaded New Year’s resolutions. By now, you’ve seen all the articles suggesting what yours should be, how to stay committed to them or, conversely, how to just plain avoid them entirely because they’re unattainable. I’ve got a different idea. Rather than putting a 365-day time stamp on your resolutions, give yourself a season, as in the season of winter or simply a season of your life, to work toward attaining your aspirations. If your goal is to save more money, spending less might come easily in the first few months of the year. As spring rolls around, that resolution might mean adding a side-hustling job to bring in a little more income, but preparing for that in advance sets you up to succeed. However you approach New Year’s resolutions, remember you’re only human, and forgiving your shortcomings is the first step on the path to resilience.
WOMEN IN NUMBERS: 10 Percent
If your resolution every year is to lose weight and get healthy, you are far from alone, sister. The most common New Year’s resolution is—drumroll—to lose weight. According to one Marist Poll, 13 percent of American adults polled want to drop the pounds, with women saying their ideal weight is 20 pounds lighter. The second most common resolution, at 10 percent, is to exercise more. When working to drop those unwanted pounds and gain some muscle, ladies, don’t forget a little self-compassion goes a long way when it comes to resolutions and creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Beating yourself up isn’t going to improve your BMI!
WOMAN TO WATCH: Kayla Itsines, Professional Personal Trainer and Co-founder of The Bikini Body Training Company
While some women hit the ground running—literally—into a new-and-improved exercise routine, busy boss ladies often rely on a comprehensive program that removes the guesswork from working out. After all, if you’ve only got a few minutes to sweat it out, you need moves that really work. That’s where today’s Woman to Watch comes in. Kayla Itsines co-founded The Bikini Body Training Company in an effort to increase women’s self-confidence, no matter where life takes them.
Kayla is based in Australia, but her reach is worldwide, and more than 20 million women have joined her workout community. Women rave about Kayla’s sweat-inducing 28-minute workouts, noting they are intelligently designed and easy to do at home.
Prior to developing her kick-butt workout program, Kayla was a dedicated personal trainer, a job her traditional Greek parents weren’t exactly thrilled about. While they were supportive, they didn’t see personal training as a sustainable career. Now that Kayla’s ranked on just about every influencer list out there, she’s proven it never hurts to trust your instincts.
Part of Kayla’s success came through the sale of her book, The Bikini Body 28-Day Healthy Eating & Lifestyle Guide, as well as her Bikini Body Guides and her Sweat app. She even has a guide packed with drool-worthy and nutritious recipes to help workout followers stay on track.
Kayla’s nearly 8 million Instagram followers submit before-and-after photos documenting their weight loss and body-strengthening journeys since joining her community. One follower tagged her before photo with the caption “wanted to be skinny” and her after photo with the caption “wants to be strong.” And that’s the key. Kayla’s not all about women attaining the physical bodies society thinks we should. Rather, she’s focused on a community of women supporting other women, and building strength on the inside as well as the outside. That’s a fitness goal we can definitely get behind!
QUITE THE QUOTE
Today’s quote comes from fitness guru Kayla Itsines herself:
“Be healthy, be strong, be happy and be confident! That is the most important. … Anything else is just a bonus.”
This is Melinda Garvey signing off until next time. Remember, ladies, empowered women empower other women. Share On the Dot so more women can have a voice. Thanks for getting ready with us.
To learn more about our conversation, check us out at OnTheDotWoman.com and talk to us @OnTheDotWoman on Twitter and Instagram. We’d love to hear your voice.