September sometimes feels like a new year in a way. Summer is over (womp womp), some of us are back to school, back to work, or just back to our normal routines and not traveling as much. Over the summer we may have been off our schedule a bit. We may have eaten differently, didn’t workout as much or had different workouts, and maybe lacked a little sleep. Now that we’re back into the swing of things, perhaps we’re rethinking how we want to approach the fall. Perhaps we have a few goals in mind or want to get back on track. However you’re feeling, it’s important to figure out what you want to do and more importantly WHY.
Make sure your goals are as specific as possible so you know exactly what you need to do. For example, lose weight and exercise more is very arbitrary and not super specific. But losing 2lbs of fat and gaining muscle by lifting weights with my trainer on Tuesday and Thursday from 7-8 am is way more specific and therefore gives you a plan! When we don’t have a plan, how are we supposed to get where we need to be?
Before we start taking action though, we need to think about what we’re currently doing. Is it working? Chances are, if you want a change, whatever you’re doing probably isn’t working if nothing is happening. So, we need to think about taking actions that are inconsistent with what we’re currently doing in our behaviors, expectations of others and various parts of our identity. In a sense, we have to outgrow where we are in order to change. We have to move beyond it and perhaps get out of our comfort zone. It’s time to think about our goals in a different way, and here's how!
You will not reach a destination. Wait what?!?! When we think about goals a lot of times we have an IF and THEN approach. IF I lose that 20lbs, THEN I’ll be happy. Okay so you lose those 20lbs and what happens, fireworks? Nope, life goes on. Then what? We have to MAINTAIN!! So losing weight isn’t a destination, it’s a journey. It’s a lifestyle. And it’s important that we enjoy the process of that journey just as much as when we do reach our goal of losing 20lbs. The journey will have twists and turns but once you reach that goal the journey continues, it’s now part of your life. So enjoy it!
Stop feeling guilty. Self care IS selfish but in a good way. Stop feeling guilty about taking care of yourself. Think about this scenario. You’re a new parent, and you stopped working out completely when your new baby came because you felt guilty leaving them to go do something for yourself. So now you’re beating yourself up for not working out and calling yourself a bad parent if you sneak in a 20-minute workout and not spend every waking moment with your baby. (ahem we may be speaking from experience here). But what if you change your mindset. Think to yourself, if I take care of myself and do something that makes me feel good about myself, in this case working out, I will be a better human and parent to my child. Therefore, I’m not only taking care of myself, but I’m taking care of my family. How's that for a perspective change? Give it a try!
Your goals CAN change. Your goals are not set in stone. Perhaps you had a goal of losing 20lbs but then lost 10 and gained muscle and felt pretty great! Guess what, it’s not always about the number! You have to assess both qualitative and quantitative data for your results. Yes the numbers are important, but how do you FEEL. You can lose 20lbs and feel miserable because its just not sustainable, OR you can lose 10, gain some muscle, feel strong and be able to maintain it no problem. Just because your goals may have changed doesn’t mean you gave up, you just tweaked it a bit to fit your lifestyle! Life changes, and so can you!
Do what gives you purpose. Ensure your goal is for YOU not someone else. It will be hard to stay motivated and happy if you are doing something for someone else. Your goal may benefit someone else, for example you sleeping better can put you in a better mood and those in your household will benefit from a happier you! However ensure that the reason your working on this goal and are on this journey is for you. Keep that in mind when you’re planning out your goals!
Don’t wait until you reach your goal to be happy. Enjoy all the milestones in between! The black and white mindset of “I’ll be happy when” doesn’t allow you to enjoy the process and all the small bright spots that come with it. Yes hitting your goal and maintaining it truly calls for a celebration, but don’t forget those small tiny habits in between that are helping you get there. Celebrate them, honor them, and be proud of every single accomplishment along the way.
Focus on what’s working - and do more of that. When did you do the actions that supported your goals? What were the circumstances around those actions that made it easier for you to do them? Then ask yourself how you can do more of that.
Have compassion. It’s not always going to be perfect. You’re not going to succeed 100% of the time. Instead of beating yourself up on what went wrong, focus on the bright spots, what went right, and learn from what went wrong and move on!
Celebrate! I made it to bed on time woohoo! I ate vegetables at lunch - go me! I worked out today - I’m amazing! They’re small actions towards your better self - celebrate them!
Try these mind shifts when thinking about your next goal and see how they help you evolve while you reach your goal and how that journey feels! We’d love to help you get there, so feel free to reach out to us to book a discovery call at info@vos-fitness.com!
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