Have you ever signed up for a race to keep you motivated to keep moving for a period of time? Or done a 30 day (or 75) challenge to kick you into gear? But then after that’s done – aka you cross the “finish line” – what happens next? For some people, they can keep the habits going, or set off into a new challenge or sign up for a new race, yet most people will just stop, because the system was too rigid and you feel a need for a break, the daily habits feel less sexy than the challenge, OR, the process allows the “all or nothing” mindset to set in. And then you either gain the weight back, move less or eat less nutrient dense foods, and you may catch yourself thinking you’re POS. Right?
Usually people who do fall into the category of an “all or nothing” mindset often think, well if I’m not able to go to my hour long workout class, then I just won’t workout at all. Or if I ran out of time to make my meal, then I’ll have to eat out. You tend to think that you’re either all in, doing the thing – or totally veggin’ out, with the “screw it” attitude.
We get it, we’ve been there too! So what can we do? Simple, stop creating a finish line, stop the expectation that a workout or meal has to look a certain way, and start looking into the actual person you want to be. Ask yourself, “what does a healthy person do every day? How did they get started?” Once you’ve done that, create habits that go with that identity, and make the systems or structure accessible and attractive to you. Remember, the ultra runner didn’t start by running 30 miles, they started with the daily habit to move their body and fuel it accordingly, and built from there.
Most often it’s our mindset of what something has to look like. Whether that be our morning routine, meals, or workouts. And we put that pressure on ourselves. So for when you’re feeling less motivated (or feeling yourself creep into that all or nothing mindset), here are some affirmations or thoughts you can come to:
“Keep moving forward.”
“I can do one more. One more day. One more meal. One minute. One rep. One veggie. Etc.”
“What’s one thing I can do to feel better right now?”
“It can look like this today.”
“Something is better than nothing.”
And there are times when a challenge can help. It can help if you’re feeling a little bored, need accountability or knowledge, or just need a kickstart. Yet keep in mind there’s usually a “finish line” and we recommend to have a plan to keep moving forward. And if that’s been tough for you in the past, book a complimentary clarity call with us today, and let us help you find out why that is, and make a shift.
Lastly, remember, if we want to not only attain our goals, but keep them going, we have to remember that there is no finish line. We keep going.
