Four Reasons Not to Wait for Your New Year's Resolutions

Too many people use the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's as a buffer zone, a place for excess and excuses. Sounds a bit harsh, but it's true. We conveniently push off those exercise plans, those self-promises to get fit and change our lives. Instead, we placate ourselves with internal dialogue that lets us off the hook and gives us the flexibility we feel we need to make it through the holiday season with less guilt and failure.

But, in reality, there is no reason to wait until the first of the year to make a change. With so many resolutions doomed to fail anyway, why not begin the process of getting healthy now, right in the midst of the normal chaos that prevents us from exercising? It may seem odd or impossible, but nothing could be more right, and here's why.

1. Beginning a program now will give you the chance to avoid an even deeper hole later. You're going to eat during the holidays, and you're going to consume a ton of calories. Most of which will come from foods that you would normally avoid or at least eat in much more moderation. Having a daily routine established now will give you the chance to battle the excess the holiday season brings. Breaking a sweat in some form every day will let you fight the pounds before they latch on. In essence, you'll discover a basic requirement for a healthy life: balance.

2. Forcing yourself into a discipline when you know that life is about to get crazy is a good step. Hard, yes, but good nonetheless. Creating a habit and giving yourself the outlet each day will generate a structure within which you can accomplish the other needed tasks. Mandating a workout, whether in the morning or evening, forces you to prioritize the other obligations, all the while giving you a chance to pay attention to yourself.

3. Making yourself a priority in the middle of the season of giving seems, on the surface, slightly selfish. However, the idea isn't so. Investing in your health and body makes you a more capable, able, and confident person, not to mention happier. This, without a doubt, allows you to be better to others, which is the goal of the holidays, isn't it?

4. A daily training session will reduce your stress level, and we all know how stressful these days can become. Even if it is just twenty minutes, that workout will give you the boost you need to keep perspective and stay motivated. When your body feels good, your mind follows.

In the end, don't wait for a month or more to pass to make a good decision. Start now and let your new habits become a lifestyle. Best of luck.