When you decide to live a healthier lifestyle it can seem intimidating and overwhelming. How should I workout? What should I eat? Where do I start? I know – I’ve all been there! 15 years ago, before I picked up a weight or ate a salad, I was in the same boat as you.
The key is to not get overwhelmed. It’s going to take some time (and TOOLS) to develop new habits for long-term success.
Small Actions x Time = Long Term Success
The way I eat and workout now is different than what I ate and how I worked out a year ago, 2 years ago, 5 years ago … The point is, I grow each year, understanding more and more about my body and what it needs to stay healthy.
Are you Green and Growing OR Ripe and Rotting?
One of the Tools we like to use at HT Fitness is Building and Maintaining Motivation.
It is easy to make a list of annual New Year’s Resolutions and worthy goals – lose weight, save money, start this, stop that. Think of the last time you made such a list. How long did it take before your life found its way back to where it was before?
So, how do we stay motivated to make the changes we sincerely want? One of the BIGGEST challenges most people face is maintaining motivation. “Wishing” is not a reliable strategy. Some people talk about the changes they want to make, as if just talking about it will get them there.
Motivation is Key. It’s What Drives You to Meet Your Goals.
Without it, you’re not likely to change. You may not realize it but you’re already motivated to change. You reading this took motivation, and the tools I’m about to give you will help you stay motivated during the change process. Remember, you have power over the choices you make, what actions you do and the goals you set for your future.
TOOL: What Do You Value Most? Why Do You Want to Live a Healthy Lifestyle?
This is one of the MOST important tools HT Fitness can give you. It’s Your ‘Why’ … Why is being healthy important to you? Why do I need to workout? Why do I need to make healthier food choices?
Here is an example of mine. I’ve written this down in my workout journal and on a small card I carry around with me to remind me why I need to go to the gym (especially when I don’t feel like it) and why I need to make healthy food choices even when temptation is all around me.
1. I want to age gracefully and live a LOOOONG life
2. I want to feel sexy, strong and confident
3. I want to have unlimited energy to keep up with my family
Give it a try! Whatever your ‘Why’ is, write it down. Don’t just say it. Write it down and put it in front of you. So, when things get tough or excuses creep in, these are the reasons why you will keep going.
EXERCISE: Ask Yourself 3 Questions
Your goal is to live a healthier lifestyle. Your desire to change is your motivation. Sometimes its hard to see a difference between what you are doing and what you could do differently to achieve your goals. This exercise can help you bring these two perspectives into focus so you can identify the differences between them.
1. What do I want for my future?
2. What am I currently doing to achieve that?
3. How do I feel about what I’m currently doing?
Example:
1. What do I want for my future? To lose weight and get off all my prescription meds
2. What am I currently doing to achieve that? Nothing
3. How do I feel about what I’m currently doing? Guilty, depressed, frustrated
Now, answer the next two questions:
4. What could I do differently to achieve the future I want?
5. How would changing what I do make me feel?
Once you see the difference between your feelings about what you’re currently doing (#2) vs your feelings about changing your behavior (#5) you can use that as further motivation to change your lifestyle.
I hope this Motivation Tool & Exercise helps you get on the right track to start living a healthier lifestyle. HT Fitness has helped thousands of people just like you create small healthy habits that turn into long term success. It may take a little time, hard-work, patience, and consistency but I know you can do it!
Stay tuned for my Goal-Planning Tool that will help you identify what you want and what you need to do to get there. This detailed tool will help you identify steps you can take toward your fitness & nutrition goal(s), strategies to help you progress and identify signs that show you're making progress along with things that will set you back.
