Know your priorities (Goals)
- What do you want? If you don’t know, then it will be impossible to make progress. Get clear about what goals are most important to you. Write these goals down and put them somewhere you can read them everyday. I remind my clients that establishing goals is a lot like deciding on a destination for a roadtrip. If you just want to get in the car and drive aimlessly, go for it. You might have some fun along the way, but you’ll also waste precious time, energy and fuel. Know your destination.
Connect to your WHY.
- Why are these goals so important to you? Dig deep to find the reason(s) your goals matter to you. Get emotional and keep it real. The more emotion you attach to your why, the more connected you will be to your goals, and the more likely you are to succeed in reaching them.
Put your important tasks on the calendar.
- Schedule your workouts for the week, and protect that time. Do not cancel a workout unless it’s an emergency. This is a promise you must keep to yourself. If you miss a workout for whatever reason, reschedule it right away. Decide what day you will go grocery shopping, meal plan and prep food and put it on your calendar and commit to going.
Get an accountability buddy or hire a fitness coach.
- Lack of accountability is why most people fail. It’s easy to let yourself off the hook, but much more difficult to let someone else down. A fitness coach can help you get clear about your goals, establish a realistic training program, schedule workouts to hold you accountable, troubleshoot your issues and keep you moving in the right direction.
Reframe the way you think about your health and fitness goals.
- If you find you’re dreading your workouts, remind yourself that exercise is a privilege denied to many. One day you won’t be able to do things you take for granted today, and that alone should be enough to light a fire under your ass. Exercise is a celebration of your health and your physical capabilities, not a punishment for something you’ve eaten. Follow a program that is tailored to your goals, track your progress and you’ll love every minute of your workouts.
Do not quit.
- “Fall down 7 times, get up 8.” This is one of my favorite quotes about resiliency. No matter how many times you get knocked down, you get up again. Results will take time. Your progress will not be linear. You will experience setbacks you can’t even imagine. Accept that this process will be challenging, and decide right now that you will not quit, no matter what.