When thinking about a fitness goal it can be easy to expect quick results, but what we may be forgetting is how long we spent living our lives in the opposite way. Most things in our lives aren’t geared towards achieving the result we want right now, rather more the convenience we wanted to live our life with previously.
So, when you hit your first speed bump with your new found health and fitness goals stop and reflect. Think, how long have I been living my life in a completely different way? Then consider how many things you perceive as “normal” still linger in your life because of this.
If your result is the sum of all your actions and you have only changed your desired result you can’t expect much change at all, the secret is in changing your actions and that begins with your perception of “normal”. Here’s an example: growing up we were either made to finish all the food on our plate or we were told “that’s ok if you can’t eat any more leave it”. Two completely opposite schools of thought neither right or wrong just different. But chances are you have carried that habit into adulthood and potentially even passed it on to your kids but in your world its completely “normal” and maybe not something you have ever considered.
Now this example is just to show everyone has different habits that they don’t even consider because they have just always been that way. But if those habits don’t align with your newfound goal that requires a particular kind of lifestyle, you’re going to be fighting an uphill battle. So, step one is to recognize when what is normal for you, for no real reason other than you’ve always done it like this doesn’t aid you towards your goal it’s time to make a change.
A common example is coming home and having a beer or wine to relax after a big day. Now this may be normal for you but if you goal is weight loss for example. The question has to be asked, is this something someone who wants to lose weight would do? Yes or No. don’t hide in the grey or justify is it in line with my desired outcome?
If not then your “normal” should be reviewed.
If we can begin to align our actions with the person, we want to be rather than just simply an outcome it makes these small everyday decisions easier and we begin to act in accordance with what that person would do, not justify what we can get away with while still achieving the outcome.
Naturally this is made easier when you surround yourself with people who have what you want, who live their life in the way you want to. This can be a great way to fast track your results. Being around these people with give your perspective you will find out how long they have worked at it to achieve this kind of result and what their “normal” are, this helps you gain a true understanding of what it’s like to really live life in this way. Chances are they have worked at it for longer than you think and that things in their life that are normal may look like extra work for you right now.
But as the old saying goes you become who you hang around and a rising tide lifts all ships. Reflect who you are spending your time with and if any of them have the things you want or live a way you’d like to and reflect and understand if your normal everyday activities reflect the person you would like to be.
