Historically, statistics have consistently shown that although the majority of people commit to healthier living for the New Year, only a handful keep their commitments above and beyond the 6 week mark. What does this tell us? I believe that it shows that we either set goals that are unrealistic or that we have yet to master the traits of keeping our word and being disciplined.

It is imperative to realize that your self-esteem and confidence are directly related to your ability to do what you say. Your inner power is equivalent to the power of your word. By consistently keeping your commitments (ie. doing what you say you are going to do) you prove to yourself and the universe that you can be trusted. As such, the more you say something and it occurs, the more you trust yourself because everything you say comes true in reality. For instance, how do you feel when you say youre going to do something, like work out 3 times this week, and then not do it? Pretty crappy right? I know I do. There is a saying that goes How you do anything is how you do everything. If you find it hard to keep certain commitments in one area of your life I am willing to bet that this tendency will also present itself in other areas of your life.

So what is the solution to keeping your commitments?

First, NEVER commit to something that you are not going to do. Success breeds success, but if you keep setting yourself up for failure by committing to things that dont get done than success will only be an illusion for you.

Second, make your word law in the universe. Make a commitment to do what you say you are going to do. Your word should mean something to you because it definitely means something to others. What if someone told you that they would take care of a pressing matter for you and then didnt do so? Would you consider this person worthy of your trust? Probably not. Take the example of ancient warriors they would die to keep their word because to them their word meant more than anything else. You too can become a warrior, a wellness warrior (without the death), by committing to living healthy and keeping your word.

Third, commit slowly and complete readily. Watch what you commit to by initially making small commitments and building on them. For example, you declare that each morning I will meditate for 5 minutes before breakfast. By completing this morning meditation and doing the same with other commitments pretty soon whenever you declare something it will be as good as done because of the experience you now have of doing everything you say. This is very powerful. Remember, you commit to something as soon as you declare it vocally or through writing. Your word is put out into the universe. Will you uphold it? I know you will!

Wellness is about balance, being true to yourself, and being whole. To be whole and truly satisfied in life you must begin to trust yourself. So keep your word. Teach yourself, and others, that you can be trusted. Make realistic commitments and stick to them. You will feel better about yourself and you will achieve your goals in no time.

Yuri Elkaim

Yuri Elkaim graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelors of Physical Education and Health from the University of Toronto. He is a Certified Kinesiologist and highly acclaimed Personal Trainer and Strength & Conditioning Coach in the Toronto, Canada area. He has 6 years personal training experience with the Sports Clubs of Canada & Station 7 Reebok, and has also worked as a clinical intern at the Sports Injury and Rehabilitation Centre Inc., in Toronto.

He is currently the founder and owner of Total Wellness Consulting, a leading health, fitness and wellness company offering health-conscious individuals innovative programs and technologies to help reach their goals of physical and mental well being.

Before founding his company, Yuri enjoyed playing professional soccer for 3 years, in Canada and in France. He was also a 2-time All-Canadian with the University of Toronto Men’s Soccer team before acting as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the nationally ranked University of Toronto Men’s Soccer program.

His training specialties include core conditioning, full-body functional training, sport-specific training, weight loss focused circuit training, muscle building, strength and power training, group training, and prehab.

He is also the creator of the revolutionary Fitter U(TM) MP3 personal training that's been receiving rave reviews.