Now that we are all carrying around a little extra bloat from the Thanksgiving feast (and the following few days of eating leftovers), it’s a good time to start looking ahead. As we know, this time of the year is filled with office parties, going out for drinks with old friends, and eating foods that aren’t normally around us on a daily basis. We also know it means that this bloat is going to stick around for a little while longer. This time of year can be very difficult to stick to our goals, so we justify falling off of them by telling ourselves that we are,” going to start over on January 1st! We are going to eat perfectly, and workout 4 times a week!” However, for some reason, this seems to be the same conversation we have with ourselves EVERY YEAR right after Thanksgiving.
Why It Never Works
The problem with taking this approach is that when we have this mindset of procrastination with our health and fitness goals, it is a reflection of a root cause…. insecurity. Insecurity plagues us all. Even the most successful people on this planet have insecurity. It is a completely natural feeling, but it is also one that is under our own control. The most successful people know how to overcome insecurity to propel them forward, instead of using it as a crutch to hold them back. If the root of the problem isn’t addressed, the wound on the surface will never be healed.
Why So Insecure?
Insecurity stems from past and/or perceived failure. When it comes to accomplishing your fitness goals, most people have felt some type of failure before. Almost all of us have fallen off the wagon at some time or another, gained the weight back, and stopped exercising for a period of time. Once the momentum slows, it is very hard to get it back to full speed. We end up working out here or there, eating a salad for dinner only because we had pizza for lunch, and eventually just giving up altogether. Our clothes fit differently, we see the weight starting to fill back in, and we tell ourselves that we, “failed once again.” When we try and bury these feelings away, the mere thought of starting over again creates anxiety. “What if we fail again?” We subconsciously ask ourselves.
There are no second chances, just do-overs.
A second chance indicates that you failed. Failure means that you quit. If you are still surviving, then you are still thriving because you are alive. You didn’t fail, you just fell off. Every single day is an opportunity for another do-over. If you made poor decisions yesterday, on your last meal, for the past 15 years, WHO CARES? None of that matters right now. What matters is that you are in control of your decisions. You can make the decision to start now. If you fall off for a meal, give yourself a do-over on the next meal. If you skipped a workout today, take a do-over and workout tomorrow. Reaching your goals is about consistency over time. You have not failed, and you will not fail, as long as you have a choice to take action. Take action today, and don’t wait until January 1st.
Stop Procrastinating!
Don’t wait until January 1st to start taking action towards working on your goals. Waiting is a sure-fire way of setting yourself up to procrastinate even more. Get started today by changing just one thing that will help make a positive impact in the right direction. You don’t have to change your whole entire world, but making one small change can be the kickstart that you need right now. If you have the mindset that you are going to wait another month to get started since it’s the start of the new year, what makes you think that same mindset won’t stall you when January 1st rolls around?
Text me at (973) 737-9775 and let me know that you got started working towards your goals today!
