Here we are, in the second week of the new year and I’ve just finalized my 2013 goals. Some of the things I have on my list scare the CRAP out of me and I was tempted to erase them. When I think back to the goals I set for 2012, I don’t remember feeling the same level of anxiety and uncertainty about whether or not I could accomplish them. So I took a quick look at last year’s goals and realized it was more like a “to-do” list than a vision for how I wanted my life to be.

Many of my 2013 goals will jolt me right out my comfort zone and require me to do things that I don’t want/don’t know how to do… as they should, otherwise things would just stay the same and what would be the point of that??

Here are some of the scary, “I don’t know if I can do it” goals:

Significantly reduce sugar intake (this is hard for a sugar addict like me)

Create (and follow) a monthly budget

Improve my video skills by shooting at least 1 video blog post each month

Watch less TV (no more than 2 hours/day)

Read 1 new book a month (I'll have PLENTY of time for this now that I won't be watching TV)

Spend less time on social media (no more than 1 hour/day)

Write a book

At first glance these don’t seem that difficult. I thought to myself, “Why should watching less TV scare anybody?? Stop being a wuss.” Then I realized that it’s not the limited TV watching that scares me, it’s that TV was my favorite procrastination tool that would faithfully distract me from the things I need to do to get to my vision. A couple of months ago, when I deleted all the game apps from my iPhone (Words With Friends was my favorite!) and removed the TV from my bedroom (both on the same day) I realized that I was purposely distracting myself from taking the necessary steps outside of my comfort zone. Right now, I don’t miss either one of those things. Being able to do this gave me the confidence that I can do it again and again…

NEW RITUALS: THE KEY TO BEING SUCCESSFUL OUTSIDE THE COMFORT ZONE

When you REALLY start to move outside of your little cozy cocoon, you have to adopt different behaviors…your daily rituals have to change a bit. For example, in my quest to watch less TV, I listened to music on Saturday morning instead of watching the Law & Order marathon on TNT…like I’ve done every Saturday morning for as long as TNT has been running Law & Order marathons. Holy crap...it was so uncomfortable to NOT be enjoying my cup of coffee to the familiar sound of the L&O “clang-clang”, but I resisted the temptation to grab the remote and just watch a teeny, tiny bit. Guess what? I pushed through the discomfort and survived. I’ve seen EVERY episode of Law & Order at least 3 times, so I don't think I missed anything.

You might be thinking, “Ok, isn’t this a fitness blog? When are you going to talk about how you’re getting ready for your next Figure competition?” Don’t worry, that stuff is coming because I’m planning to do at least 1 show this year. But when it comes to health and fitness, I know many people can relate to being afraid to do something that makes them want to run back to their familiar, unhealthy behaviors. Whether it’s giving up your 3PM Venti white mocha with extra whipped cream or really exerting yourself during a workout, these are things you MUST DO to take one step closer to being your best self. Of course, it doesn’t FEEL good initially, but if you have specific health and fitness goals you want to achieve then you walking through the discomfort is the only way. We’ve all heard this (or some variation of it) before: if you want extraordinary results, you have to do extraordinary things…the ordinary just won’t cut it. I have to remind myself of this on a daily basis.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to eliminate my comfort zone altogether...in fact, I'm thinking of adding a few fuzzy pillows and scented candles to make it extra cozy. After this year, I'm definitely gonna need it!

Do you have any “I don’t know if I can do it” goals on your list for 2013? If so, share them here on the blog in the comments section below.

[signature]Melissa[/signature]