Making a change isn’t hard.
Taking one action. . .Getting up early to workout. . .Packing a health lunch. . . is easy.
Once. Maybe even twice. . . easy peasy.
Sticking with it?
Day after day after day until it becomes a habit?
That’s another story.
That takes more than good intentions.
But before we get to that, I want to share my own story on the slippery slide of consistency. . .
It’s been a minute since my last post (well, if we’re being honest, it’s been more than a minute 🤦🏽♀️ I swear it was still August yesterday!)
I had good intentions. I made a schedule. I wrote posts. I even thought about sharing them.
And then. . .
Life
Work
School
Soccer practice
School pick up
Making dinner & packing lunches
Cleaning (why is there ALWAYS more to clean?)
A weekend out of town
And one day I hit my limit.
I wanted / needed to rest - my brain, my body AND my to do list.
So I took a day off. . . and then another. . . and then another.
And now it’s the almost October. 😳
ANYONE RELATE? (Hoping there’s a few ✋🏼✋🏾✋🏿✋🏻 in the air)
Like slipping down a greased slide, it’s SOO easy to let one seemingly small diversion from our routine end up derailing weeks of progress.
Making time to stretch?
Putting together a healthy meal at home vs picking something up?
It’s SOO easy to say we’ll get back to it tomorrow. . . Monday. . . next week.
But time doesn’t stop for a break.
Next thing you know, it’s been weeks 😵💫 and trying to get motivated to get back into your routine is harder than ever.
So how do we get off this Shoots & Ladders board of motivation?
My Top 3 Keys 🔑 🔑 🔑 to Making Sticking with a Change
1. Consistency not intensity is the secret sauce of sustainable change
If you determine that a workout = an hour in the gym or on your bike and nothing less count;, you’re more likely to simply skip it in a time crunch. However, deciding that you WILL do something EVERY day leaves no wiggle room.
And that’s what we’re after. . . consistent steps towards your goal. Why?
Because. . .
“We are what we do repeatedly. Excellence then, is not an act but a habit”
Aristotle knew what he was talking about. It’s not one impressive action that shapes us but the hundreds of small ones done repeatedly.
2. Surround yourself with things that remind you of your why
You need to know your WHY - the reason that you are making a change to begin with. The more personal, the better.
Do you want to work out so that:
You can buy a smaller size at the store?
To avoid the illnesses that run in your family?
To be able to run a marathon?
Get clear on WHY you want to change. Let that be your guiding light and then surround yourself with a 1000 candles to remind you of it ALL. THE. TIME.
Read books about it. Watch shows that inspire you to keep going. Listen to podcasts and interviews with people who’ve accomplished what you want to achieve. Hang out with friends who inspire you to stick with it.
There’s no such thing as overkill here. Fill your world with inspiration and motivation to stick to your goal and you’ll find it easier to stay on course.
3. Accountability
DON’T DO IT ALONE.
Tell your partner, family or friends (even better - see if they’ll join you or be your accountability buddy).
Hire a teacher or trainer. Sign up for a class (or a whole program like I’ll be unveiling soon).
Post your intent on your Facebook page.
Basically, don’t keep it to yourself. Share your goal - especially with people who will hold you to it and remind you of it when you want to quit. Knowing there’s someone else showing up for you, supporting you will give you strength when motivation starts to fade.
In my own journey and in working with hundreds of people of all ages looking to change their bodies (and their relationship with it), these are the things that I see make the difference time and time again.
They aren’t sexy or earth shattering but they work.