Today I’m going to share the number one way to make sure that you always always accomplish your goals, especially when it comes to weight loss, healthy weight and maintenance, and it's a relatively simple concept.
The only way to succeed at anything you do is to NOT QUIT.
Now, this is often easier said than done, but I can tell you that anyone in your life that enjoys success has got to that point because they push through the hard times in order to see things through. Ok, honestly, there's never any guarantees in life, however if you quit you will never get any closer to your goals and dreams!
The Big Picture is Helpful, with a caveat....
When you set out to accomplish a goal, one of the most important ingredients for success is to be able to see the big picture. What would it feel like to finish that 5K race? How amazing would it be to show up to the family gathering in a smaller sized dress or just feeling more energetic? How elated would you feel to be able to easily lift your grandchild or have the energy to play with them? Imagine it, feel it, be in the moment in your mind.
Unfortunately though, sometimes, if we get too focused on the overall enormity of the task and only look at the big picture, it feels too big and we want to quit.
Honestly, while I was creating Motivated Health, whilst working full time as a physiotherapist in the NHS (National Health Service in the UK), I had times when I just sat in my office and stared at the blank computer screen because I was so overwhelmed and it was tiring and stagnating. In my mind, I saw myself having a website with online programs and blogging twice a week, and writing a book, and posting on social media morning and evening, and creating loads of downloadable freebies, and hosting a podcast... and, and, and, – and it was just too much at once! I just wanted to provide so much but it was a mountain of work in time I just didn't have available! I felt like it was all just too overwhelming and way more than I could handle. I reminded myself that 'that's okay', Rome was not built in a day, and to really focus on my true goal, then break it down.
So, what can you do when you feel so overwhelmed by your goal that you are paralysed?
Break it Down and Make a Plan
Let’s think of it this way: if you were going to drive from your house to John O'Groats (presuming you lived in the UK), you wouldn’t just get in your car and start driving, would you? Of course not! You might end up in the middle of the Cairngorms with no phone signal, no fuel (or electric), stuck in the middle of nowhere! (FYI, for anyone not in the UK, John O'Groats is the furthers point North that you can get to in the UK by land, right at the top tip of Scotland, which at the time of writing is still part of the UK).
You would make a plan. You would figure out how many days it would take, arrange the time off, plan where to stop each night, get the locations for your sat nav or mapping app, consider if there was anywhere you wanted to visit on the way and hopefully take some healthy food with you so you don’t end up being enticed by the McDonald’s drive-thru!
When you feel like you want to quit, it’s time to break down your goal into smaller pieces. When I say small, I mean really small. It could be that the only thing you need to do today is hop in the car and buy some healthy food supplies for the journey, or plan one stop. That’s it. Now, does that feel more manageable?
Don’t be afraid to make your baby steps truly tiny!
I love this quote from Tony Robbins:
"Most people overestimate what they can do in a day, and underestimate what they can do in a decade."
Remember Your ‘Why’
When your goal feels overwhelming and quit-worthy, take a look at your why. Why did you set that goal in the first place? Why did you decide this goal was important to you?
In those moments that feel insurmountable, recall your dream of feeling confident at your next family gathering in that stylish dress, at playing with your grand children outside and not having to stop after five minutes, having a walk along the beach with your partner and really enjoying it, feeling like retirement is truly the beginning of the next chapter in your life and one you're looking forward to in good health (which may be a way off yet depending on how old you are).
Consistency will get you to the goal every single time.
One thing to note: it's important to make your goals relative and achievable before you start, and using SMART goal setting can be really helpful. I often use this with people and it can be used for both long and short term goals. I've written an article about setting SMART goals with some examples, so if you want to know more then click HERE.
Please note: This article is intended to be for educational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice or replace professional assessment or personalised advice.
I do not hold responsibility for the information on any links to external websites within this article and information within these links/websites may change at any time or no longer be accessible. Any website pages/links added are also for education purposes only.
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