So You Want to Get Fit? (Two things that can guarantee your success...that you might not be thinking of)
So...you want to get "fit"?
As a fitness professional I spend a lot of time with people who are thinking about their fitness. They're dreaming of the results they wish they had, scheming of how to get them, bemoaning their previous struggles...and, if we're doing it right, eventually celebrating success. In my years working as a coach there's one factor that consistently has been the difference between people who are flexing and grinning, and those who are still talking about the same 5 lbs after 2 years. This post is about that factor, understanding it, and how to set yourself up for success.
Have you considered what your goals are and made the time to get yourself there?
Simple Success Factor: Making Time
Have you ever heard the phrase "If it's important you'll make time, if it's not you'll make excuses"?
Sure, it sounds a bit snide... except that it's true.
If you're anything like my clients you are very busy. You have your job, maybe some kids, maybe a parent who's getting a little older, your friends, hopefully a good social life, religious or volunteer obligations, your partner... and then tacked on the end of it is anything you're trying to accomplish for yourself. It can be daunting. But it doesn't have to be.
I consistently see those that are able to get themselves organized and set aside time to work on their goals are able to reach them with more success and skill than people who are disorganized. I've also coached countless people who didn't understand that they had to carve time to get what they wanted.
So How Does This Even Work?
Great... you agree with me that you have to make time... now what?
Get Clear on What You Want
What is it you want to accomplish? Do you want to take up running to work on your heart health and lose a little weight? Do you want to start resistance training and up your metabolism? Do you want to learn how to cook so you can break your Seamless habit and stop eating like you live in a frat? Take some time to identify exactly what you want long term and then walk it back to what you're ready to take on right now. The more clear you are the better your decisions will be.
Schedule for success
If you don't have a calendar, get one. We all have them on our phones so there's basically no excuse. Next, use it. Schedule time with yourself. If you want to start going to SoulCycle three days a week don't just wing it! Pick which three classes you're going to and schedule them. Set times for your run. Schedule your meal prep.
Whatever the habit, block the time out. This is a meeting with your future self and you are not allowed to break it!
Rinse and Repeat
Every week have a moment that you return to your schedule and ensure that you book next week's fitness appointments. I have client's do it weekly since most of them know what their obligations are a week in advance. If you have a really regular schedule make a regular appointment; if, like me, your life is always in the blender have it be a daily touch point.
Personally, I schedule the following week's workouts on Saturday or Sunday and shift them daily if something comes up. The point is to have a routine, not that the routine has to be perfect.
Final Step: Keep Your Commitment to Yourself
Want to know the secret of a person who really loves themselves: if they make themselves a promise they'll keep it. (Just like you would with your best friend or your mom.)
Every morning Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson wakes up at 3:30a so he can be to the gym by 4a. That way, no matter what else happens that day, he lifted.
Same goes for Jocko Willink, former Navy SEAL, motivational coach, podcaster, and All-Around Bad Ass. Jocko posts a black and white picture of his watch every morning when his day gets started....at 4:30a.
I'm not saying you have to wake up before dawn and live like a professional athlete to be fit - but I am saying if you tell yourself you're going to do something: do it. Love yourself that much.