You’re eager to start a new year. The challenges, mistakes, and setbacks from 2020 will feel like a distant memory with all you have on your “to accomplish list” in 2021. Before you can get to the 2021 victory party it’s important to keep in mind that you won’t get there with ambition and motivation alone.

You need a bulletproof plan. You’ve probably already assessed where your biggest gaps were at in 2020. Maybe you struggled to get quality sleep, your anxiety and stress were at an all time high or you fell out of your fitness routine. Even if your biggest struggles were in your career, finances, or relationships – they all took a toll on your health.

HEALTH

That was the theme of the entire year, across the globe. Whether it was the fear of losing great health, concern around struggling health declining further, or the end of life – those thoughts and stories filled our minds and echoed through every communication platform. 

2021 isn’t about survival, 2021 is about refocusing our efforts on what we want for our life, having a plan, and taking action. For many of us it’ll start with our physical health. Everyone has a different approach they’ll take for a different path with unique challenges. You may not have set foot in a gym in the past 5-10 years, while others were in the gym a lot, but were left spinning their wheels without a plan or without finding consistency. Regardless, most people will need to find a physical location to experience the desired success in their physical health. Sure, your friend from college girlfriend’s cousin crushed their health and fitness goals in 2020 by working out in their basement, and your neighbor does their workouts outside 365 days a year, which looks enjoyable 4/12 months of the year (since you likely live in the midwest) – but they’re the exception to the rule. 

To help you get started, here’s a list of things that are important to consider when finding where you’ll be successful in achieving your health and fitness goals for 2021. 

• Cleanliness – You’re not going to get a good workout in or be consistent with your workouts if you don’t feel comfortable with the the cleanliness of where you’re training. If it’s dirty or it smells, and that bothers you, it’s probably not going to be a great fit long term. 
• Community – Contrast your favorite and least favorite work experiences you’ve had. At your favorite (hopefully current as well) you felt celebrated by your leaders and peers, there was a strong sense of teamwork, people encouraged each other regularly, genuine friendships were established and you looked forward to spending time together daily, even while doing hard work and solving problems. Your least favorite experience you were rarely acknowledged or noticed, your work was never good enough, there was drama, gossip, and backstabbing, people were rude and standoffish, you had a headache daily from being there and couldn’t wait to leave for the day – it was genuinely uncomfortable to be there.  We all want to be celebrated and lifted up by others – find a gym with a community that feels like family. A great way to assess the temperature of a community is by looking at Google and Facebook reviews. 
• Consistency – Remember the person that drove you crazy every time you ate with them, because of the way they chewed their food? They were consistent. Consistently annoying to you. Everyone has different pet peeves and quirks. Ask yourself if you will enjoy the time you’ll spend in the building. If the lighting gives you a headache, you can’t stand the lime green paint, or the music isn’t your style, it’ll be tough to be there regularly. 
• Convenience – Where you workout needs to be quick and easy for you to access. Look for places that are close to your home or your workplace. Then commit to going at a time that fits your schedule regularly – another reason why convenience is important. When traffic patterns change at rush hour, make a plan to take the backroads to avoid the headache – consistent headaches on your way to the gym will make you less likely to go consistently. 
• Resources – You’ve won awards throughout your career for your achievements – you’re an expert in your field. You know it like the back of your hand. You aren’t as comfortable with health and fitness – which is why you’re looking for a place where you can make progress. You need the leaders at your gym to be leaders with the resources you’ll need to be successful. You can’t do leg exercises without feeling pain in your back? Do they have coaches that can teach you how to make adjustments to be pain free while training? You know your nutrition is holding you back. Do they have nutrition coaches that guide you to making behavior changes that will lead you to the results you’ve wanted for years? You know you need accountability. Do they offer accountability through personal training?
• Results – It’s the driving factor for why you’re reading this. You’re asking friends and family where they go, reading reviews – ultimately it’s for one reason – RESULTS. You want something you don’t have. You’re willing to invest the money and put in the work, but you want to know it’s going to yield the desired outcome. Does this gym have a track record of helping people be successful consistently? Don’t confuse this with the most fit gym. We all have different starting points. Someone with 25 pounds to lose, may have already lost 50 pounds – they’re winning, they just aren’t done yet. A gym full of bodybuilders or elite functional fitness athletes isn’t going to help you achieve the same result (if that’s even your goal). It’s more likely to be intimidating which won’t lead you to find your success.
• Value – The average monthly payment for a new car in the United States is $554/mth. If you’re a car fan that number might be on the low end for what you’ve budgeted to spend on your passion for cars each month. For others, you might love the new car smell, but after month two you’re not any happier or healthier. Value is subjective and the judge is you. If your health is a major concern, pain point, robs you of your confidence and joy, or is your top focus – ask yourself what it’s worth to you to fix your problem and set a budget for it. After all, we each only get one body for our entire life. If you’re not happy with the value you’re getting from your gym you likely won’t be happy – or consistent. 

We hope you found value in this checklist. We’ll be back with another list next week to breakdown how to prepare to have a great workout. 

If you’re looking for a place to achieve the results you want in 2021, we’d love to have a conversation with you! We’ll learn more about what you want to accomplish, what’s been holding you back – but more importantly – make a plan for you to achieve your goals, and help you take action! Click the box below to book your FREE introduction!