The Secret To Making Lasting Changes
Many people decide to change just to change. Maybe a family member told them something that hit a nerve or the doctor told them to make a change or else they may die (a little harsh, I know, sorry). But whatever the reason is, the most important thing is to understand why you need to change. Once you understand (this can take a awhile), then you have to convince yourself that you want to change. Just changing for the sake of changing, or for someone else almost never works. Weather its starting to workout, quit smoking, lose fat weight, change careers, whatever it is, you have to want to change.
Take a second and reflect back to a time when you made a change and was successful. How did it feel? what motivated you? Did you feel like quitting, and how did you overcome that? What was your attitude going into the change, during, and after? What obstacles did you overcome? Your level of readiness is what will determine how successful you will be and how much time it will take you. Once you make that change, you must be patient and practice that new habit everyday until it becomes automatic. Getting there requires a grind.
Change is something that is unique to each individual. Some change out of fear, some out of jealousy, and some out of love. Whatever your reason is, make sure you keep that in sight for motivation. some people forget why they started to change in the first place, and they lose the passion and motivation. Once this happens, its almost a wrap- done for. Understanding that you can change and that change is nothing more than a set of habits that must be repeated. No one is stuck; everyone has a choice to move on. Claiming that you are stuck and cant move on is admitting defeat right away. On the contrary, tell yourself you can and will. It all starts with the mind.
If you are truly ready for change, you must admit to yourself that what you have been doing is not working and you must develop a new set of principles or ways of doing things. Or you can hire someone to help you; like a trainer if you want to be healthier. Hiring a personal trainer will help you achieve your goal faster and safer. But again, you have to be ready. Just making the purchase will not work. You have to want to do it so bad, that you will attend your training sessions even on cold, wet, and on days when you don't want to go. I have seen many people succeed at making a fitness change in their life. The difference from them and the people that continually fail is that they never quit. They grind and work harder than everyone else. And most importantly, they never play the victims. They never say "I can't do it," and they are always up for a challenge. This mindset does not come easily. it takes time and requires patience. But you have both so why not succeed.
To make the changes you want last, you must be ok with starting wherever you are. Its never going to be the perfect time. The best line I ever heard was someone told me they would join me once they got in shape. This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard (sorry for being blunt) but come-on, do you take a bath before you take a shower? Also, you must be ok with taking a step back sometimes. There will be times when you fall off the wagon, but do not stay down, get back up and keep going. You only fail if you stay down. Here is a pro-secret; keep a journal and write down the times you fall off the wagon, and write down what happened, who you were with, what did they say or do to you, where were you, and how you were feeling. This will help you avoid the next pitfall. There will always be pitfalls, you just have to learn how to avoid them. Pro-secret; Be mindful of your responses to falling off the wagon. If your response is to whine, complain, and play the victim, then you are sure to fail. But if you deal with it in a positive way then nothing will hold you down for long.
Remember, hiring a professional will get you there faster. Hiring a personal trainer is investing in you health, and your health is something that you should never negotiate with. Find a fitness location that has a safe and inviting community, not where it is the cheapest.
