Have you ever started a new fitness program with enthusiasm, only to find a few weeks or months down the line you’ve lost all motivation?
Or maybe you’ve lost direction and feel stuck in a rut
If this is a problem for you here are 6 steps we use with out personal training clients that you can use to help refocus and get your health and fitness back on track;
1. Review the progress you HAVE made
It’s easy to go right to the weight measurements or other tangible indicators of progress. But there’s much more that you might be discounting if you focus exclusively on the scales.
Before allowing frustration at a lack of progress consume you consider a few other areas you might be overlooking;
• More energy
• Clearer skin
• Feeling satisfied after meals
• Better posture
• Stronger
• Sleeping better
• Clothes fitting better
• Better mood
• Feel more confident
If nothing else you’ve likely learned what DOESN’T work for you and your goals.
2. Revisit your why
It would be nice if you could just flick a switch and get Lit Up and excited about making progress. But that’s not how it works. We’ve got to go back to why you wanted to get in better shape in the first place.
Perhaps losing weight means feeling more confident being in control and living a life on your own terms with a sense of self worth.
Pretty deep, I know.
But ultimately if you want to succeed long term we’ve got to get into the nitty gritty of WHY you want to get in better shape.
Only once you’ve revisited why you want to be fitter will your energy be redirected back into taking action and feeling good about it!
3. Establish what just a little progress looks like
It’s easy to keep looking towards the end goal you’re looking to achieve. But instead ask yourself what would the smallest amount of progress look like?
How would you know you were making a slight improvement?
Maybe it would be still having a little energy left at the end of the day. Perhaps it would be that you were able to hold a plank for 30 seconds instead of collapsing after 20 secs. Or maybe you’d finish your evening meal without feeling bloated and full to the brim.
4. Set up systems and structure to keep you focused
While we tend to rebel against it, structure has the power to stop your fitness dropping by the wayside. Make a commitment while you’re feeling motivated that’ll help you stick to your plan. If you’re the kind of person that doesn’t let other people down make an appointment to meet someone at the gym or hire a personal trainer to keep you on track.
5. Review your progress
Not checking in on your progress is one of the fastest ways to lose focus. Here’s a good way to set up your reviews:
Daily: Put aside 5 minutes at the end of the day to review nutrition. What went well? What could be better? What could you do tomorrow to improve?
Weekly: Put 10 minutes aside to review your total exercise for the week. Again, ask yourself what went well, what could be better and what can you do next week to improve.
Monthly: Put 30 minutes aside to review your results. Are you losing weight? Reducing your body fat? Getting fitter? Stronger? Healthier? Looking more toned? (taking regular progress photos works well for this). Remember to check in with the list above for indicators of progress you might be missing.
6. Adjust the plan
After your monthly review make a plan of what you’re going to commit to doing next month to improve. It doesn’t have to be a huge change. A small improvement on what you did last month will likely work best
Summary
The journey to better health and fitness is rarely straightforward. Know that challenges will always be part of the journey. So when you’re stuck in a motivation rut here’s the 6 steps to help you pull through the funk.
1. Review the progress you HAVE made
2. Revisit your why
3. Establish what just a little progress looks like
4. Set up systems and structure to keep you focused
5. Review your progress
6. Adjust the plan
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