So, you found your new workout plan, went grocery shopping to start your new meal plan on Monday… even planned a time for meal prep — LOOK AT YOU GO!
And while, yes, that’s fantastic and absolutely necessary, there’s one HUGE step you’re missing to TRULY make your fitness journey successful. And the truth is, without it, the route to your goals will be a lot more challenging than it has to be.
Can you guess what the MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR for your fitness journey is?
YOUR MINDSET.
Yup. Before you flex those quads and biceps you’ll have to flex that mental muscle to work in your favor. So, how can you make that mental change? Below are four steps to get your MIND right so you can get your body right and achieve your goals.
1. Define your best WHY.
Starting your fitness journey is easy, but seeing it to the end is where most people fail. You will want to give up. Inevitably you will have a bad day, you will take two steps forward and three steps back.
First of all, experiencing setbacks is completely normal, you are making a life-change after all. Secondly, it is not a reason to give up, it just means you need to have an even STRONGER WHY than your desire to give up.
Make sure you take the time to focus on why you are wanting this change in your life. Here are some questions to get you started:
— WHY is it important for you to get reach your fitness goal?
— What pain will you endure in the future if you don’t change your fitness routine?
— How amazing would you feel if you actually reached your goal?
Write these out in as much detail as possible and make it a habit to read these every day.
2. Accept where you are.
This is a critical step and may very well be the hardest. Acceptance requires you to take responsibility for your current circumstances, and understand that you didn’t get to where you are overnight.
Acceptance doesn’t come from a place of self-criticism or judgment. It’s simply about coming to terms with your reality and it’s a great way to let go of any victim mentality that might be keeping you from changing. Today, in fact right now, accept that you are in this situation because of your decisions, and commit to making a change for the better.
3. Fitness is a journey, not a destination.
It would be magical if we could snap our fingers and have your ideal body, career, and life? But that’s not the way things work in life. Good things take time, sacrifice, and effort.
Don’t set — or fall for — unrealistic goals, regardless of how attractive they may seem at first. Changing your body the right way will take time. Building healthier habits will take time. Cultivating a community of like-minded people will take time.
Researchers from University College London found that on average it takes 66 days to develop a new habit. And as such, you cannot expect a whole life and habit overhaul overnight. Focus on changing ONE thing at a time, because remember fitness is a JOURNEY, not a destination.
Most people try to rush through their fitness journey because they see it as a ‘sacrifice.’ They train the wrong way, take on painful diets, and eventually fail. Those are problems for people that have never been taught the right way to train, eat and self-care. Let us show you a better way.
Remember that anyone selling you a shortcut on the way to your fitness goal is basically making money off your failure. Play the long game, it’s the only one worth playing. Can you think of anything more valuable than investing in your wellbeing?
4. Find your tribe.
While things like affirmation and self-talk are extremely important, the truth is you need a tribe for those days when that just is not enough. There will be days when you are not motivated, don’t want to hit the gym, and instead just want to hit up the drive-thru. On those days when even your ‘why’ is not enough, your tribe can lift you up, remind you of your strength, and you can borrow their belief in you until you start to believe in yourself again.
The best part about developing a strong mind is that it won’t only help you change your body, it has the potential to help you change your whole life.
In his book, Warrior Mindset, Michael J. Asken asks you to imagine that “instead of getting tired or bogged down, instead of being distracted and tempted…drive forward with an unstoppable, bulletproof mentality… Developing that warrior’s mindset is like a workout for your mind, your philosophy and your soul.” Now just imagine what you could achieve with that type of mindset?
We are here for you.
At the Happy Factory, we pride ourselves in providing you with the right support, a realistic plan, and people who inspire you to strive for more.
We thrive on building community, fostering camaraderie and achieving goals in life. As a member, you’ll meet every trainer, connect with fellow members, and participate in signature activities inside and outside of the gym.
Come and join us, your first class is always on us!
