If you’ve been following me for a while you’ll know that, when it comes to our clients, my team and I favour the slow approach to changing behaviours, developing healthy habits and building a quality lifestyle that is sustainable.
I heard a great phrase recently (I can’t remember where, sorry) that when you train enough clients and coach for long enough you become aware of certain truths. I couldn’t agree more with it.
Great example for you of a truth that has been proven to me countless times over the years.
It’s old news that most people fail to achieve their health and fitness goals and the quality of life that they say they want to achieve while the vast MINORITY of people succeed in achieving their goals. One of the truths that I see time and time again is that those who fail in their attempts tend to largely ignore their current situation and circumstances. They fail to met themselves where they are currently at in life, health and fitness and instead they try to meet themselves where they once were or where would love to be.
People with this approach completely belittle the impact that their current life situation has on their progress, mentality, physical abilities, etc. and instead try to impose an ideal on themselves that they simply can’t handle at that time.
The result of this is that they end up trying to change too much too soon and placing unsustainable stressors on the body that ultimately end in failure. Another kick in the gut to remind you that you don’t have it in you- weren’t we through this before?
The body and mind rebel, shut down the party and slaps you in the face saying “What the hell were you playing at?” I can’t handle that much road running. That weight was way too heavy for my joints. I’m only off the cigarettes a week, that fitness class was well beyond my current abilities.
Overhauling my breakfast, quitting the cigarettes, going off alcohol, training 5 days a week, getting up at 6am every morning, learning 30 new recipes while trying to work shifts, do the school runs and dealing with life at the same time wasn’t on the cards at all.
Think January and the new year resolutions gang. Perfect example.
But the problem was that you didn’t think it was too much because you weren’t meeting yourself where you were at. This is one of the big keys to health and fitness success. If you’re a smoker meet yourself there and plan a way forward. If you’re a stressed out business owner, meet yourself there and plan a way forward. If you’ve been inactive for 15 years and are several stone overweight, meet yourself there and plan a way forward.
This is so hard for people to do because we all want to think we are still capable of surprising ourselves, that we still have it (whatever that means) or that we can keep up with those we tend to compare ourselves with. Therefore we try to meet ourselves where we once were or where we would like to be without having put in the work to earn that ability.
Our clients see great results not only in their physiques but, more importantly, in their quality of life because we drill this concept into them- meet yourself where you’re at and nothing will stop you. If you don’t, reality will soon put you in your place.
So, where are you at?
Steve
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