Many people truly want to improve an aspect of their health, such as losing weight, clearing up their skin, reducing bothersome digestive symptoms, or fixing hormonal issues. And even though they somewhat know what to do and what their best intentions are, they don’t consistently do what they know they should do.
In this blog, I uncover the top reasons why we know exactly what to do but just don’t do it – and, of course, the solutions you can use to achieve the health (or life) transformations you want with more precision. fluidity, ease and consistency.
#1 It wasn’t your idea
Unless you decide that deep down you really want to change one aspect of your health, it will be difficult to motivate yourself and maintain momentum.
The Fix: Finding YOUR OWN reason that inspires you should be the first step towards your goal. Sit down with a pen and paper and list all the benefits you can think of if you address this specific health concern. Use this list as a reminder to motivate yourself.
#2 Your goal is unrealistic or too big
Having aspirations is a wonderful thing and we should all strive to improve ourselves in one way or another. However, we must keep our feet on the ground. Overwhelming yourself can be the exact opposite of empowering and can instead make you want to give up.
The Fix: Break down your main goal into “small steps”. Then turn each intermediate step into SMARTER goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound, exciting, rewarded). Learn more about SMARTER goals here.
#3 You give up too soon
Giving up too soon is one of the most common reasons why you might not achieve the goals you set for yourself. Change doesn’t happen overnight. Some things, even the simplest ones, take time and/or practice. Unfortunately, many of us lose sight of the ultimate goal at the slightest resistance or when success does not materialize when expected.
The Fix: There are very few people who simply decide to do something and then go and do it. Most of us need some form of accountability to keep moving forward, especially if achieving the goal may take some time and a long-term commitment is required. You may want to make a public announcement (e.g., post on social media), tell a friend, or find a buddy, but a great way to hold yourself accountable is to work with a coach. Your coach will support you week after week and gently hold you accountable for your actions so you get what you want and more.
#4 You can’t accept setbacks
This reason is related to #3 because failure is often the reason people give up prematurely. If this sounds like you, know that almost no goal worth achieving is achieved without setbacks. Sometimes we are blinded by the success of others. Remember, you only see the status quo. But how that person got there – the learning curve and setbacks they encountered on the path to success, the effort and perseverance that ultimately led to their desired health outcome – is something you generally don’t know anything. If you admire someone else, know that they also had setbacks, but they kept going.
The Fix: If you only keep your eyes on the prize, it can blind you to the small wins along the way. And yes, there may be setbacks on the path to your goal, but stop sometimes to look back and appreciate what you have already accomplished. Whatever you do, track your progress because it’s often easier to focus on the negatives rather than recognizing the positives. When you look at how far you have come, you will be motivated to continue.
#5 You don’t have time
We all have the same 24 hours. And even if you really don’t have time, it would be more appropriate to say, for whatever reason, that changing an aspect of your health that bothers you is not your priority right now. Time is a funny thing. Even though it’s undeniable that an hour has 60 minutes and a day has 24 hours, how come 20 minutes on the treadmill seems considerably longer than 20 minutes on Netflix? Every goal requires time and commitment.
The Fix: We don’t have time, we create time! If you’re having trouble finding the time to achieve your goal, ask yourself if you really want it. Is the answer yes? So how about tracking your time for a week or so to see where it’s going? A simple laptop will do, but there are of course (free) apps for that too. Time tracking can help you identify areas where you’re wasting time, find areas where you might be able to delegate, highlight areas where you’re spending time that aren’t that important, or simply to show you that you magically find time to spend 2 hours a day. day on social networks or in front of the TV. No judgment. We all do it!
#6 You lack discipline
There are certain goals that you are passionate about. You approach them with great enthusiasm and dynamism, so you are literally transported to the finish line. But these objectives are the exception rather than the rule. If passion and enthusiasm are lacking, a good dose of self-discipline may be needed, which you might consider lacking.
The Fix: You need to positively reinforce the huge changes you are making to encourage you to maintain them for the long term. This means you’ll want to create appropriate ways to feel better or celebrate progress. Spend some time identifying some activities that you can incorporate into your daily life, that you enjoy, and that you can use as a reward, as a de-stressor, as a way to take a break, or just to have 5 minutes of indulgence or peace!
#7 You don’t have a plan
Every goal is achieved by taking one step at a time. Although it may seem obvious, some people find a structured approach difficult. A planned approach becomes more difficult as individual steps are required to achieve the goal. If you lose track of the next steps or necessary actions, your goal may slip away from you.
The Fix: “Failing to plan is planning to fail” (Benjamin Franklin). Unfortunately, there is no way around this problem, you have to make a plan. Take another sheet of paper and draw a four-column chart with the headings Goal (make it SMARTER and include intermediate steps) – Deadline (when do you want to achieve the goal(s), be realistic! ) – How (what needs to happen to achieve the goal(s) – What if… (imagine what could go wrong and what you will do then so as not to be surprised).
#8 You do it alone
Every goal is easier to achieve with support. Perhaps you see this as a form of motivation if you insist on going it alone. Wouldn’t it be great to prove to others or to yourself that you can do it? It certainly would, but why fight? Why not make your life easier by benefiting from support?
The Fix: Let’s work together to address all aspects of what I’ve talked about above. I will provide my knowledge on what to eat to achieve your goals and help you create healthy habits that last. I will also be your cheerleader if you encounter obstacles or setbacks that seem likely to prevent you from achieving your goals. Book your free health call with me now To get started, take one more confident step towards your health goal(s) and make this year even better than the last.