People over complicate things. To achieve success in any area you just need a few things. This goes for any area. Fitness. Finances. Marriage. You name it.
First, you need a plan. Most people wander around without a plan. A plan is simply a step by step process to get you from where you are to where you want to be. For example:
- Step One – Discover your goals or what you want to accomplish
- Step Two – Develop a baseline. Where are you starting from? It’s hard to know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re starting.
- Step Three – Develop a foundation. Many people start off with an exercise program that is too intense for them and then quit right away. Others don’t challenge themselves enough. They key is to find the balance.
- Step Four – Reassess and make adjustments as needed. You can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results.
- Step Five – Re-evaluate your goals. If you’ve hit them, choose a new one. If not, re-set or tweak them.
Second, you need to believe in that process. I don’t care if you’re 5 pounds overweight or 50. You simply have to believe in the plan. You can do it. Don’t doubt yourself or the plan. It works as long as you’re willing to sacrifice and live differently. You’ll have to say no to certain foods or activities for the sake of your goal but that time is going to pass anyway. Why not make the most of it and get better?
Finally, you need to have some accountability. It’s not just knowing what to do. Most people know that an apple is healthier than a bag of chips. So why do they choose the chips? There might be several reasons but one is that they aren’t reporting their results to anyone. . In other words, there’s no accountability. One study showed that those who worked out with someone else were 36.2% more likely to stick with an exercise program. It’s just too easy to get off track if nobody knows what we’re doing.
If you can do these three things, you can have almost anything you want. Stick to a plan, believe in that plan, and build in some accountability. Over time, your life will change. It’s not a microwave. It’s more of a crockpot thing but you’ll be getting more out of life!