Resolutions and Willpower

30 -- in and of itself there is nothing scary about this number.  However now that it has become my rapidly approaching age it has got me to thinking that I've allowed myself to give up or give in during my life for far too long.  Now while I know 30 is not old, though I used to have nightmares to the contrary, I don't want to turn 30 and never have followed through with anything...EVER.

So as a result of this realization, I have decided to make New Year's resolutions and actually...*GASP*...keep them.  I don't know if it's ok to say that most people probably know where I'm coming from or if that's just me wanting to not feel alone in my lack of accomplishments, but I think most people understand good intentions that never come to fruition.

Wikipedia says that a New Year's resolution is "a commitment that an individual makes to one or more personal goals, projects, or the reforming of habits."  Well I've got some personal goals in need of accomplishing and some bad habits in desperate need of reforming.

My resolutions are as follows:
1. Work out more often -- 3-4 times a week (This is as opposed to the 3-4 times a year I did it before.)
2. Lose the gut (Unfortunately over the past 6 years I've let myself go and now have quite the gut for a skinny-framed person.)
3. Gain muscle (With no meat on my bones it's always been a struggle to gain any muscle mass, and it is because of this that I am going to do whatever it takes to change this.)
4. Run a 5k (I made a bucket list for the first time this past year and one of the items I put on there is to run a half marathon.  This is my baby step to see if I can realize that item on my bucket list.)
5. Eat healthier (In order to accomplish #3 I have to adjust my eating habits.  Not just eliminating the convenient fast food and tasty sweet snacks, but also increase my protein intake and healthy fats while decreasing the amount of saturated fats and fried foods in my diet.)
6. And most importantly...

Most of these things are the same resolutions I'm sure you have made for yourself before too, so I'm hoping you can relate to my struggle.  In order to complete these things and follow through I have to access something I've never really had...willpower.  Willpower is defined as the ability to control one's impulses and actions; self control.

If he can do it surely I can too.

It is because of my lack of willpower that I've never accomplished these resolutions all the other years I have tried.  I allow myself the easy way out.  But there has to be a starting point for change, and that point for me is now.  I have begun making small changes already, and plan in the next week to make the other changes necessary to succeed.  They say it takes 28 days to make a habit.  Well here goes nothing.  I hope to make several new habits.  Great habits.  Not like my habit of biting my nails or yelling at all the other drivers on the road because it's obviously them who's at fault and doesn't know how to drive.  This blog is mainly to keep me accountable to myself.  I no longer want any reason to fail.  If I require myself to track my progress and put it out there for anyone/everyone to see, I know I'm more likely to follow through.  So hopefully along the way I can encourage you and maybe you can encourage me too.  Welcome to my battle of fat vs. fit.