“I want to lose 15 pounds so that I can fit back into my favorite pair of pants and be confident when I do”.
It’s an awesome goal with a strong why, and I LOVE a strong WHY. Setting goals is extremely important because it allows us to hit milestones and helps us have motivation on our lifelong health and fitness journey.
However, great goals and strong “why’s” still have a long way to go without the right mindset.
While on our journey to our goals, we can adopt one of two main mindsets, or lenses to view our journey through.
One, we can be RESULTS DRIVEN which means we only have our eyes on the prize and it’s about “just getting there”.
OR, we can be PROCESS ORIENTED which means we are focusing on each step we take on the journey and loving it.
It’s important to be the latter because it allows us to appreciate the process of learning and becoming healthier. It takes the focus off the results so that the value of the journey and ourselves isn’t diminished if the results aren’t perfect.
Do not get me wrong, results are important. However, they are NOT everything.
Learning how to make a sustainable long term change is the ultimate goal, no matter what that goal might be. We can find that longevity from appreciating the process and adjusting our mindset. Our mindset comes from the way we choose to think and speak.
So, when you find yourself in a rough spot, take a second to be conscious of your thoughts.
Are you being present and appreciating the work that you are putting in?
Or, are you seeing the lack of loss on the scale as a reason to give up?
Are you asking yourself how you can keep moving the needle forward?
Or, are you wanting to turn back and forget the whole thing altogether?
Are you seeing the positive results as an affirmation of your hard work?
Or, are you using it as a reason to stray away from the current path by getting a sweet treat?
Remember that our journey is a lifelong process of becoming healthier and moving the needle. It is constant, small efforts in the right direction rather than massive leaps in either direction.
Stay focused on the day-day and minute-minute process rather than the outcome. Mindset is everything.
-Coach Jack
