A couple of weeks ago, I was asked by one of my clients how to get motivated to exercise and eat healthier. As she started to give me a run through of her weekly schedule, I could see that her struggle to find the motivation was not actually linked to how busy she was, but that it was linked to the 3 little words that I find so many people living by, -subconsciously.
They are: “All or Nothing”.
When you think in terms of “All or Nothing” this attitude can put you in danger of never reaching your goals. I know that sounds crazy, but hear me out. You see, when my client started to explain how she wanted to approach exercise, she had a certain expectation of how she thought she needed to do it and because her vision was out of reach, she just didn’t even bother to try. Thankfully, we were able to find a solution to her “All or Nothing” attitude and put her on the success path she was meant to be on.
Learn my Top 4 Strategies on how to Ditch the “All or Nothing” Perfectionist Attitude and start stepping towards your weight loss, fitness and life goals now!
Dilema #1: You have no time.
You want to work out, you may even have an hour to squeeze it in but the problem is, you don’t have the 30 minutes it takes to drive to the gym, the hour to work out, shower and change, plus another 30 minutes to drive home. Because you just don’t have 2-3 hours, you don’t end up working out at all.
Solution: Plan out how much time you have from start to finish and do something that fits into that time frame. Maybe it’s going for a short run, doing a yoga video at home or even going for a walk during your lunch break. Look for ways to be active outside of what you think is “required” and be open to new ideas. Tip: A HIIT workout (High intensity interval training) requires you to work harder in less time, therefore getting the maximum benefit from your workout in a shorter amount of time. These are the kind of workouts that I specialize in! Download one of my free HIIT Workouts here.
Dilema # 2: You start strong but fall “off the wagon” after a few weeks.
You decide you’re going to change your life. You read about a new diet, cleanse, no sugar, no dairy solution and you empty out your cupboard, fridge etc with the plan to begin with a clean slate. You get on whatever wagon you’ve chosen, but after a few weeks you get “sick” of it. You’re tired of eating the same stuff, you miss the cheese, carbs, sweets, etc or it’s just too much work to maintain this new lifestyle forever so you quit.
Solution: Make smaller changes gradually, see if you actually like what you’re doing and if this actually works for your lifestyle. You are allowed to make your own rules! If you you can’t cut out all dairy, (but you want to try), why not just try reducing the amount you have first? If you can’t afford to buy all organic food, why not just start with some? Allow yourself the time it takes to get used to the changes you want to incorporate in your life. Making gradual changes and testing to see if it fits with your lifestyle allows you the grace you need to instill lasting lifestyle habits that you’ll be able to maintain long term.
Dilema #3: You know what to do, you’re just not doing it!
You’re smart. You’re educated. You know eating fruit and vegetables is healthy but when you’ve had a bad day, you just don’t feel like eating a “salad”. You know you should exercise, but you just don’t like it. You hate getting sweaty. You know the difference between which foods promote health and which foods steal your energy and promote weight gain. Nevertheless, you just can’t seem to actually do what your supposed to do.
Solution: Change your mindset, attitude and beliefs. Just because you have a bad day and ate the pasta and the cheesecake, doesn’t mean you’re doomed for life. Doing something once, doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it either, so if you have an unhealthy meal, it doesn’t mean your whole day is “ruined”. Make your next meal better and add in some healthy habits that you’ll feel good about! Drink more water, have more vegetables, do a workout, etc. You’re not perfect and guess what? You don’t have to be. Cut yourself some slack. No, you can’t “erase” what you already put into your body, but you can have a healthier meal next time around. This also applies to exercise. So you hate to do it, but you know you need to. A changed mindset can make all the difference. Look for ways to move your body that you enjoy. If you enjoy what you’re doing, the task of exercise won’t seem merely as difficult! Go for that walk with a friend. Dance around your home privately. Buy the fit bit or try a yoga class. Write a list of things you like to do or think you might like to do and try them all until you find one that you like and that you’ll do. The key here is to just get moving and while the beginning might seem like a huge mountain to overcome, remember that every little step moves you forward.Get motivation tips here.
Dilema #4: You want instant gratification!
Ouch! That one hurts doesn’t it? What do do say when you’ve gained all the weight and can’t fit into your clothes? “I just want this weight off me NOW”! What do you say when you start dieting and working out and after two weeks you’ve only lost a pound? “That’s not enough”! In a day and age where we practically expect to get what we want immediately, it makes it really difficult to be patient and wait for the right time to get it.
Solution: Stop rushing. Stop demanding and stop expecting. Be patient and be kind. Give yourself and your body time. Let newly created health practices become habits. Habits are things we do that we don’t need to think about; we do them naturally because we’ve practised them over and over again. No, I’m not saying its easy to be patient. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be fit into those “skinny jeans” right now. But when you practice patience and being kind to yourself (and others), it makes the journey a lot more full-filling, rewarding and worth it. Let yourself be molded into the person you were meant to be by being patient, diligent and kind to yourself. Most of all, remember that it’s ok not to be perfect.
And now I would love to hear from you!
Do you struggle with the need to be perfect? If so, how can I be of help to you? Or do you have any tips that might help someone else? Please leave your comments below.
And…did you like this article? If so, I would really appreciate it, if you would share it with your family and friends!
Thanks so much and till next time,
Bianca, xo
