Friday, February 14, 2025
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“Find your why” in New Year resolutions

The New Year brings a wave of resolutions, with many eager to hit the gym, save more money, or simply embrace healthier habits.

But it doesn’t take long for ambition to fall to the wayside.

And Logan’s community leaders are no different.

For Ali Kadri, the CEO of the local Islamic College of Brisbane, the largest Islamic school in Queensland, he set himself a goal to work less and spend more time at home with his family.

But just two weeks after returning to work, he has already broken his 2025 resolution.

“My schedule is that I start at school in the morning, and most evenings I come back to the school – I told myself I would reduce that to once a week,” Mr Kadri said.

“But not only did I come back every day, I also spent Saturday afternoon at the office.”

Mr Kadri said his family was not overly happy about the broken resolution.

“If you do something with a purpose, then it is not really work, it is fun,” he said.

“But nothing comes without a sacrifice.

“The goal is to balance the different sacrifices you have as a man – making sure you give time to your family, and at the same time be good at what you do and provide for your family.”

He said there was still time to turn the year around.

“I am going to try and be more efficient,” he said.

“I have acquired more skills in the break – I have taught myself to code AI bots and so I have automated a few things in my life.

“Hopefully AI will come to the rescue.”

Arwen McGregor, the president of the Logan Chamber of Commerce, isn’t one to make new year’s resolutions.

But if she did, she joked it would be to stay profitable and stay in business.

“I haven’t broken it yet,” she said.

“Personal resolutions I don’t really do, because I set myself expectations I probably don’t follow through with.

“But they would be to be happy, be kind and be profitable.

“I’m still happy, I am still being kind, and I am aiming for profit.”

Local personal trainer Sariah, who lost 40kg when she first started at the gym 13 years ago, warned that motivation often fades after a few weeks if goals aren’t realistic or sustainable.

“The biggest mistake people make is putting too much pressure on themselves,” Sariah said.

“If you’ve never been to the gym before, don’t plan on going six days a week right away. Start with two or three days and build up from there.”

She said that overdoing it early can lead to burnout or injuries.

“It’s important to leave your ego at the door,” she said.

“Ease into it. Consistency is key, and you’d be surprised how quickly your fitness improves if you stick with it.”

Logan’s mayor Jon Raven said he was looking to focus on fitness during 2025.

“I probably need to do more exercise,” he said.

“If anyone’s selling a secondhand Concept 2 rowing machine, let me know.”

Sariah said achieving your goals can be made easier with a friend.

“A personal trainer, if funds allow, or workout buddy can also make a huge difference in accountability and confidence.”

She stresses the importance of forming habits over relying on fleeting motivation.

“Discipline keeps you going on the days you don’t feel like it. Those are often the days you’ll end up having the best workouts.”

Finally, she urges everyone to find an exercise they enjoy.

“Be grateful for the ability to move, and don’t compare yourself to others. Find your ‘why’ and stick to it.”

Logan City’s Citizen of the Year for 2025, Abdul Khan, who created the Logan Roos Football Club at Woodridge to support refugees and migrants as they transition to a new life, hasn’t set himself any fitness goals this year.

But he is laser focused on improving his community.

“Every year I always look to do the best for our youth,” he said.

“We’d like to engage more females and youths who are struggling, bring them off the streets, and show them a pathway through sport.

“As a club we’re doing great, and we want to continue growing and enriching the wider community.”

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