Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going

December 27, 2018

Oscar Colon, Lead Personal Trainer and Master Trainer at Chelsea Piers Fitness Brooklyn, talks resolutions, goals- and finding your own personal victories.

The start of a new year can be a powerful thing. A chance to start fresh, set new goals and feel optimistic about the year ahead. Sometimes, this can feel overwhelming, and people set themselves up to fail by setting unrealistic goals or simply failing to launch.

We sat down with Oscar Colon, Lead Personal Trainer and Master Trainer at Chelsea Piers Fitness Brooklyn, to discuss how to get going, and keep going strong, in the new year.

CP: Oscar, this time of year can feel both motivating and daunting to people who are looking to make changes to their life. What’s the best way to get going, and keep going strong, in the new year?

OC: People often set goals without a plan of action and they don’t plan on how they will combat hardships that will inevitably arise. One of the big mantras I subscribe to is the idea of anchoring your goals to something larger than just weight loss; a numerical figure or an aesthetic that is set by others. Ask yourself, what would it mean to achieve a goal you set for yourself- and yourself only?

CP: We recently spoke about the quote, “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” What does this phrase mean to you?

OC: This is the perfect time of year to get motivated to start something new. Allow yourself to be caught up in the energy and spirit of the season! Once you get started, stick with it. Make it part of your everyday or weekly routine, put it on your calendar, think of it like you do your meals and paying your bills, part of your regular life. The best way to stay motivated is to make something a habit. Once you see how easily you are progressing, you’ll be hooked.

CP: How can people remain confident in the goals they set?

OC: Discipline is a muscle, and the more small victories you have the more likely you will be to set attainable goals and achieve those as well. The power you gain in leveraging all of your small victories in the gym will catapult you into a more well-balanced life in which you are in control of your own decisions and actions. Fighting through the adversity that will inevitably rear its ugly head- will be even more leverage in all other parts of your life. Sometimes all you need to do is get started, and remind yourself along the way that what you’re doing is important and difficult, and that every step you take is a victory.

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