3 Lessons for Making the Most of "Resolutions," Pt. 1

Happy New Year from DiSalvo Performance Training HQ! I’m sitting here at the gym in Chelsea on the morning of January 2 and am very happy to be finding time to write.

Finding time being the emphasis there.

Last year, my focus was entirely spent on the expansion of DiSalvo Performance Training. Those efforts saw us double our gym size, add two staff members/trainers, and gave us the ability to make massive equipment and offering upgrades. What it didn’t do was help me fully realize my previously stated goal of this Substack becoming a more regular hub of training articles that we could use as a discussion point. That said, looking back, there are weekly articles for at least 7 months of the year until things trailed off to be less regular, so I wouldn’t call it a total failure…

I emphasize the expectation vs. reality above, because that type of reflection and comparison is exactly the frame of mind many find themselves in this time of year. Resolutions, goals, intentions, whatever you want to call them — the first month of the year offers a physical and mental reset point.

As a general rule, I am an optimist. I like to indulge and find ways to help people find their way to the goals they set. It’s what I do.

What it doesn’t mean is that I will lie to you or sugar coat things— I just choose to do the hard work with a smile on my face. With that in mind, this article, as well as two to follow in the coming weeks, are dedicated to three helpful tips to actually following through on your goals. Whether it’s winning a world championship in grappling, or simply resolving to eat better and move a little more each day, these 3 training truths will help you excel and lean in harder to the resolutions you have.

With that in mind, the first “rule” is…

Plan for interruptions.

I actually think the reason gyms are busiest this time of year has as much to do with the resolutions of patrons as the simple fact that from January until the end of May, there are very few holidays or extended periods of time that can derail a personal schedule or interrupt habitual behavior.

So if you take that assumption, you may not experience your first real roadblock until Memorial Day Weekend in May. That means you have 5 months to really dig in and do a lot of good work.

But, that’s assuming you make it 5 uninterrupted months. What about things before it?

A phrase I hear a lot is that you must plan for the unknown. Unfortunately, by definition, we don’t always know the things we should be planning for. That’s why you must start by adopting the mindset that whatever comes up, you’ll figure out a way to deal with it. It’s simple. But you have to believe it and resolve to not quit or let things fade.

The only way to really believe it though, is to be tested and watch yourself come out on the other side okay. Belief, in my eyes, comes from confidence. Confidence in yourself, your abilities and vision of where you’re going.

So when that first test comes, resolve yourself to try and come up with a solution instead of getting frustrated or neglecting it. That very act, no matter how imperfect, is how you start to gain confidence and belief in yourself. It can be that small.

I think a big failing of fitness and health media/press is that they make everything seem like it’s bigger than it is. The “big” results you’re looking for come from many small things and habits that you already know and possess the ability to do. The way to prepare for the interruptions can be as simple as looking at your calendar every Sunday evening and making sure you know where you’re going to be that week. That way, you know the times you should go train, approximately where and what you’ll eat, and when you can spend time with friends, family, or simply by yourself.

It can also mean making a certain amount of training sessions at a certain time a non-negotiable, while an extra one or two are the ones that you can move around. It can even just be having a breakfast prepped to heat up each morning. One habit is all it takes to get the wheels moving.

By the way, these are all things that capable and good coaches and trainers will tell you. The anxiety and confusion comes from social media, “influencers,” and marketing forces— not actual information or substantive services (note: more on that in next week’s article).

Full Circle: A Personal Example…

In past years, I would have been more discouraged by the fact that I set a goal to publish [near] weekly articles, but failed to do that. However, when I sit and reflect and understand where I was successful, where I wasn’t, and more importantly, why I wasn’t— it really just reframes the process.

That process looks like this: there was an opportunity to grow DiSalvo Performance Training and make a bigger impact in the lives of clients, so I took that path. More importantly, DiSalvo Performance Training is evolving beyond simply myself. That gives me (and all who train here) more experience. More experience gives me more to actually share here, and hopefully help on a larger scale.

So I will take my own advice this year and plan for the weeks where staff meetings, training sessions, research and seminars all pile up and make sure I do the best I can here.

Happy New Year, again, and I’ll see you all at the gym soon.