There's a Christmas lights store near where I live that boosts sales in the summer by making us believe that July is a smart time to stock up on decor for the winter. It got me thinking about the holidays and how we easily believe that there are only certain times of year when we do certain things, or that doing them in a different time is harder or unnecessary. Practicality aside, there is no reason NOT to buy holiday decorations in July, other than we haven't given our trees and wreaths much thought since we took them down. Why wouldn't we want to be a little more prepared for the holidays, pay a little less, without the crowds and pinched budgets, and change our seasonal routine?

Maybe... probably... because we've not done it before.

There are parts of every season that I love, but one of my very favorites in summer is the early morning, after a workout, with my coffee and a good conversation. It's relaxing and simple and unhurried. It's different than a winter morning when the sun isn't up and it's cold. In winter, it's harder for me to relax (because I'm usually cold) and I have a stronger urge to start working (probably to stay warm!). Considering the seasons, t's ironic to me that we don't start fitness resolutions when the days are longer, there are more outdoor options, with a wider variety of fresh food, less clothing to wear and wash, and fewer holidays to keep us celebrating with food and drink.

What if we start a new practice of fitness resolutions that begin in July?

Summertime Commencement... Jumpstart July... Warm Weather Wake Up... whatever you want to call it! How about we finish the rest of the year by starting again, now!

Here's the reality for some of us... summer means we suddenly become a chauffeur for kids activities and all our best routines hit the road. Or maybe a vacation breaks up the system you started last month and now it's hard to reschedule. If I had a dime for ever time someone confessed that starting was the hardest part for them, I'd be retired and living large. Beginnings are big, fat, giant, goal-killers. There's no questioning how great we feel when we finish, but getting started can beat your best efforts almost any day. So here's what we need: January in July!

We need all the hubbub about New Year's Resolutions now. We need media outlets talking to talkshow hosts about how to finally keep to our goals once and for all. We need exercise equipment ads on TV. We need Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and bikini models to show us how "easy" it is to look amazing in 6 weeks. And here's why... all that bombardment of the same message gets us thinking that we actually CAN make a change. Every time we turn on our phones or TV's, someone is telling us that we really can exercise and eat nutritiously. New Year's resolutions are far from new. The first record of them date back 4,000 years to ancient Babylon. Only then, they celebrated New Year's in March at the end of planting season. So, we know there's nothing magical about the time of year we resolve to change, it only matters that we do it. 

Health and fitness have no off season.

You probably know someone who is waiting until their kids go back to school so that they can get back to their exercise routine. Or maybe someone who spends every weekend on their boat, drinking and eating junk and then regretting their choices on Monday. Maybe that's you?  Instead of replaying the indulgence in your head with regret, let's just imagine that you decided to use July as resolution season. There's more time and options for workouts. It's easier to eat fresh food. There's no house to decorate or presents to buy. How about we look at summer as the season of disciplined eating and moving? This sort of training is gratifying instead of rigid. Discipline actually breeds satisfaction. It makes you content. It builds your self-confidence. It makes you hopeful.

These results are timeless. Now is the season to act. Go get a trainer (ME!). Go to a farmer's market. Take a hike. Ask for accountability when you need it. Have a friend join in with you. Choose to put things in your body that give you energy. Do all that when it's easier, like a summer morning. Next January, you will have one less resolution to add to your list and will be ready for the New Year with a new you!