The beginning of a new year is a great time to look back at the year that was, celebrate the wins, extract the lessons from adversity or failures, set the frame for the year ahead, and establish new targets.
Admittedly, I have not always been strong at this game. In fact, I am still learning and getting better every year at creating more clarity about where I have been, where I want to go, and how I will get there.
One of my biggest lessons that I have learned is that it is nice to set targets, dream big, and have great intentions, but failing to plan is a plan to fail.

I am a big fan of creating simplicity, so the way I have found I can simplify my life is to break my targets into 4 categories:
• Family/Relationships
• Faith/Personal growth
• Fitness/Health
• Finance/Business

I like to set a big target for the end of the year that I aim to hit in each category.

The next step is to break down each target into quarterly benchmarks (90-day increments) so I can make sure that I am on track.

However, perhaps the most critical step in planning on HOW I will hit these quarterly and yearly targets is the necessary habits that I must commit to in order to build every single day towards becoming the person who can pick off these targets like a sniper.

Check out the video below where I explain how I set up my targets for 2020:

What I want to share with you in this blog is the 5 habits I am committed to in 2020 to enable me to smash my targets in my fitness and health this quarter.

Habit #1- Get to bed before 10pm
I have been an awful procrastinator when it comes to getting to bed on time. My top priority for my health, my personal growth, my business, and my marriage is getting up by 5 am every day so I can dedicate 1 hour of time in the morning to what I call my CORE 4. My CORE 4 is a morning routine I adopted from Wake-up Warrior that allows me to establish power to set the tone for the day. It consists of mobility and supplements (Body), meditation and journaling (Being), deposit to my wife like a love note and a text to my family (Balance), read from a business book and create a log of what I am learning (Business). These daily habits lead to long term growth every single day in every category. What I discovered is that the critical behavior I need to commit to is getting to bed on time so I can get up in the morning.

Habit #2- Drink 100 oz water every day
What I have found is that the busier that I have become, the less I remember to drink water. I was finding that some days I was only drinking barely half of what I need for optimal hydration as an athlete. One of the simplest things every human being can commit to is to drink at least half their body weight in ounces of water per day for great energy, health, function, and longevity. The habit that I have established is to carry a 25oz glass bottle all day, and I must drink 4 bottles per day, no excuses.

Habit #3- No phone after 8pm and read in the evenings during the week instead of TV
My wife and I love to watch Netflix series together. What we found though is that we were watching TV far too often and staying up too late. It’s very easy to get hooked into a show and convince yourself that you can watch just one more. This was not improving our marriage, our brains, or our health, and it was screwing up my ability to get up in the morning. So, shutting off our phones so we can connect through conversation, watching less TV to read instead, and getting to bed earlier has a major carry over to improving all 4 areas of my life.

Habit #4- Finish Every Shower With 30 Seconds of Cold Ass Water
This one might seem crazy especially in the winter but ever since committing to this habit I have more energy than a cup of coffee gives me after I get out of the shower. Most importantly though I make myself do something uncomfortable as hell first thing in the morning and winning the war with my mind. By doing this, it makes doing other hard things seem not that bad. It’s like conquering a micro-fear every single day to help empower your decision making and helping me take control of my day

Habit #5- Exercise Outdoors for 1 hour per week
If you know me, one thing that I am known for having developed an iron-clad habit of exercising and eating healthy. This is not a struggle for me because I have made it a part of who I am and what I stand for. But what I realized is that unless I’m training for a triathlon or an outdoor event I rarely spend time exercising outdoors. Once per week I am committed to spending an hour outdoors doing something active regardless of weather. It’s easy to make the excuse that I don’t have time, it’s too cold, or I’ll just go to the gym instead. Winning the war of the self by facing the discomfort and doing it anyways has incredible transfer into everything in your life whether it’s facing an uncomfortable conversation, doing paperwork that I’m dreading, or a chore that I hate doing. And exercising outdoors is great for not only my body, but my mind and soul. I love and cherish time spent outdoors and it makes me a happier person.

Those are my 5 habits that I’m committed to in 2020 when it comes to my health. I challenge you to commit to at least 1 new habit this year and see where it takes you. It doesn’t have to be any of the ones that I listed above, it could simply be committing to eating breakfast every day, or getting to your chiropractor once per week, or starting a date night habit with your spouse.

I’d love to hear about what YOU are committed to this year!

Leave a comment below or send me an email at drryan@in8wellnesscenter.com if you ever have any questions or want help hitting your targets in 2020.
Happy New Year! Let’s make it your best year yet.