Be a driver for resolutions

Editor's note: Adam Rees is Founder of GRIT GYM, a gym based on results, creating a culture and lifestyle of performance, strength, health and freedom.

By Adam Rees, community contributor

We are four days into 2015 and many New Year's resolutions already ave failed.

Change is something humans typically don't do well. We make resolutions to catalyze a change in our lives. They usually are based on health, exercise and nutrition. People aim to change and improve pieces of these for many reasons, but if you ask why enough times it always comes back to an improved experience.

This is a bit philosophical, but ultimately if we were all to ask ourselves 'why we are here?” enough times, I think we'd come up with the answer we are here for the experience. Many cultures call their life a story and you read a book for the experience of the story.

If this is the case, and change so important, why is it so difficult?

In eastern culture there is a term called 'Satori.” It is one of the steps to complete enlightenment. It's significant here because in accomplishment of satori one has accepted the idea of constant change. This idea is that no matter what, everything always is changing - death and birth are obvious examples, dirt always is eroding to move somewhere new, the body is constantly aging, weather always is changing, even the continents are moving. No matter how slow the change is, it's always changing, even ourselves.

So why do we fight the change? I don't know, but theoretically it makes sense that we are typically comfortable with what we are already good at and know. Learning a new task is difficult at first. Eventually we become proficient and, depending on the task, it becomes second nature or becomes a mindless habit. It's just what we do. Nutrition and exercise fit into this well. So does continual learning.

If there is one thing I've done well in this life, it's I've actively sought out teachers. I've always been outrageously curious.

To me, and this doesn't have to be something you agree with or even want to try to understand, but to me, continual life long learning is extremely exciting. I hope in my last few moments in this life I get to reflect and realize something new, sit back and say, 'Hmmm, isn't that interesting.” It doesn't need to be recorded or understood by anyone else because it's my experience, I lived it and then I had the final experience of life - death, the last change, until whatever does or does not come next.

So how does this relate to New Years's resolutions? There are three basic reactions I've found people have to change.

Type 1 is stubborn. They desire change but are fixated on staying the same. Most people in our society are this type. The way they live is comfortable, soothing, habitual and hard to move away from.

Type 2 is the surfer mentality - 'go with the flow.” These people generally accept change with ease but take awhile to make it their own as they are flowing with the change that may or may not be the change they desired.

Type 3 is the driver. These people are extremely rare. They see what they want, realize the changes necessary for success and uproot any and all to make it happen. This type understands improvement happens one action at a time, no matter how slow or how fast, progress is progress.

We like to think we are all 'the driver,” but this is not the case. Most of us are Type 1. We tend to consider ourselves as one of Newton's Laws, able to stay in motion once put in motion but we do not consider the resistance we will encounter. Most of the time this resistance is internal. People are their own worst enemy. They are their own saboteur. They are and create their own resistance.

This is why I tend to think New Year's resolutions are somewhat humorous, because if you really wanted it, you'd be doing it.

This is why it is so pivotal to seek teachers. An outside force of knowledge and experience, as well as accountability to goals, actions and mentality. A beginner knows very little where a lifelong learner knows much. Your goals don't have time to wade through all the experience, mistakes and information an expert can do for you. At Grit Gym, I take zero credit and zero responsibility for clients' success. Because their responsibility is to follow the plan. I know the plan will work if they work hard for improvement and stay focused on the priorities. It's success by design instead of by coincidence.

If you are serious about your resolution this year, seek a teacher who is a lifelong learner. Accept the challenges you have set forth for yourself and do everything in and outside of your power to make it happen. Commit to yourself because ultimately this life you're living is only yours and the best version of you will always be a work in progress, but that's the best part - the journey.