Do you know why people don’t reach their goals?
- Because they don’t start
- They try to be perfect
In order to reach a goal – health and fitness related or otherwise – you do have to start.
But you don’t have to be perfect – especially all in one go on day one.
Just aim for (a tiny bit) better than yesterday. Shoot for good enough. It’s better than nothing, and lots of tiny imperfect steps will get you to your goal.
When it comes to your health, well being, fitness and performance, you don’t have to change EVERYTHING in January, only to give up in February.
Think about it for a minute. The nation it seems is starting their ‘new me’ this month, but you and I both know most will quit. Why? Because whatever the ‘new me’ happens to be, it’s probably a) too much change too soon, b) too difficult to do ‘forever’ – think crazy diets and exercise regimes, or c) too uncomfortable to put up with forever.
The minute we create rules for ourselves we create resistance to them. No more chocolate for example. Oops, got home late, stressed, a pile of wotk still to do, kids to look after and… oh I caved in after a day!
Now feel guilt that I did something bad (broke the said rule), and shame that I am something bad (I’m such a lose, I can’t even hold out for a week!).
What next?
Give up, only to have a wake up call in a few days, weeks or months when you try again.
Sound familiar?
So, take a different approach. Take the pressure off. Pain a picture of who you want to be. As your ideal self what will be happening? What will you be feeling and doing?
Think backwards.
Ask, what will have to happen to achieve this goal?
Break the goal up until you get to something completely doable, today – NOW!
Focus on this for a couple of weeks until it is easy and feels automatic.
Once this is in place, add the next easy ‘thing’ and so on until over the course of time you’ve made massive headway with very little discomfort – you’ve built skills you can maintain.
Rules like ‘no chocolate’ are your own ‘truthiness’ and made up. They set you up to fail. Adding a very small easy habit instead and holding yourself responsible to taking this small action will lead to your desired result.
In the end, taking action consistently counts.
I like to say ‘’if you focus on the results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will get results’’.