I know how badly you want to get in shape and feel comfortable in your own skin. I know how bad you want to wear skinny jeans and sleeveless shirts with confidence. My sweet friend, I know this battle is hard and exhausting sometimes. Maybe you just had a baby or maybe you’re preparing to have one safely. Maybe you just turned 40 and you’re finally doing the work to make this happen. Maybe you just have the last stubborn 10 lbs to lose or maybe it’s 50, even 100. Whatever it is for you, each of us has a certain standard when it comes to seeing “results”.
In fact, the number one reason people continually “yo yo diet”, binge eat, and continually struggle with their weight is because they seemingly don’t see results fast enough, so they quit. Then the cycle continues over and over. It breaks my heart to see women give up before they really even got started. It breaks my heart to see women throw in the towel right before their breakthrough. So today I want to give you a little checklist that you can go to when you feel frustrated, unmotivated, and want to quit. DON’T DO IT! Be different than the 80% of the population that quits everything. Be More! Stay in this thing! Oh, and if you haven’t gone through my Free 7 day video course on how to stay on track please do so. It will really shed some insight on a mental and emotional skill set you may be missing in your program. Hint: you can apply this to every aspect of your life. Marriage, career, kids , family, etc, It WORKS.
So here we go…When You Want to Quit:
1. Remember Why You Started.
Envision the end goal and create a crystal clear mental picture of what that looks like. You must develop the discipline to keep this in the forefront of your mind. I recommend making a dream board or having your purpose and reason in front of you all the time. Write down your mission and post it in various places that you know you will see it, like your car or bathroom mirror.
For though the revelation awaits an appointed time it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. Habakkuk 1:3
2. Be Brutally Honest With Yourself.
Are you really eating clean and sticking to your plan? Are you shortcutting your workouts or only giving half the effort? How many days are you actually exercising? Take a look at the previous two weeks and get super detailed with what you ate and how you trained. Did you have a little cheat here or just one more there? Do you need to make another change to your diet or up the intensity in your training? It’s funny how in our minds we think making one small sacrifice should then yield double the results. It doesn’t work that way regardless of what the media, or infomercials have sold you. Results are not instantaneous. It’s going to take time. How much time it takes is really up to you. And you know what? You are wasting time by quitting or stopping and starting. Now, if you’re doing everything right then be patient! Keep doing it and do it with JOY. Learn to embrace the process. For without the process there is no progress. Ask yourself what do I and what can I change? On that note: you need to make sure you continue to challenge yourself in your workouts. Go up in weight or reps. Our bodies are remarkably adaptable and we have to continue to push them from goal to goal. Never stop growing. Complacency and comfort zones are a complete lie and will steal your progress before you know it.
“Those who WORK their land will have abundant food, but those that chase fantasies have no sense. Proverbs 12:11
3. Reassess Your Expectations and Your Season of Life
Are you wanting to look like a fitness model six weeks into your new lifestyle? Who or what do you think you should be looking like and what are you comparing yourself to? Take a good hard look at the time that you actually have and the season of life you’re in. Things are going to take time and you can’t compare yourself to a fitness model that works out for a LIVING. However, you can continue to be consistent and make a decision that you will only be concerned with your journey. No one else’s. Also, be realistic in that it likely took you some time to get to where you are now and it’s going to take a considerable amount of time to get to where you want to be. You have to make this a part of who you are and that looks different for different people. Be realistic with your body type, genetics, and work with what you have to the best of your ability. Most importantly, RELEASE yourself from impossible beauty standards and be the best version of YOU. No one else! When you lay your head down on your pillow at night ask yourself, “Did I do MY best?” If the answer is no then don’t waste one minute of time in guilt. Get up the next day with a resolve to do better and really do it.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for everything activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
4. Renew Your Mind and Resolve to Continue
Trust me when I say that 80% of your battle is going to be mental. You have to be very aware and diligent of what is going on between your ears. What are you watching, reading, and listening to? Who are you hanging around? What are you saying to yourself? Listen, you will only act on what you believe. So what do you believe to be true about you? If you don’t like what you believe then guess what? YOU CAN CHANGE IT. Make a decision that you will do it no matter what and no matter what negativity comes your way. Renewing your mind is a continual process. Human beings have a remarkable ability to forget things quickly. So God gave us the Bible as something to continually come to in order to reprogram our brains. Renewing your mind is a continual process. It should be the number one thing feeding you and the only thing filling you up.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be ABLE to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.”Romans 12:2
Many people will leave off that last sentence when they quote this verse. You renew your mind so that you will be ABLE. So that you can take ACTION and resolve to continue.
Don’t quit…it’s coming.
Renewing,
Lindsey Nadler
Get real talk, no B.S. business advice on creating a business doing what you love.