Don’t be upset with the results you didn’t get from the work you didn’t do
This is a tough love statement.
Getting right to the point…our results are a reflection of our efforts.
Many of us want change, but aren’t willing to change.
There is a “quote of the day” in CoachRx (our app that we use for programming software) that reads something like, “the way you got it is the way you keep it.”
Said another way, if nothing changes, nothing changes.
No if’s, and’s or but’s about it…if you want something different, you have to do something different. Unfortunately, too many folks want to hang onto old habits while at the same time expecting different results. For example, people join the gym and believe the weight will just drop off forgetting that exercising regularly is one small part of the equation.
A bit more on the softer, more encouraging side…I recognize that we all start where we start and we go from there. Perhaps exercising intentionally is new to you, then you have definitely taken a step in the right direction. Maybe you rarely ate vegetables and now eating just one serving per day is a win for you. I’d rather you focus on that 1% better everyday versus aiming for perfection or worse yet, not making the effort to change anything at all.
Where it becomes important to balance our expectations is when we are checking in on a metric we may be focusing on. One example of this may be expecting a certain lifting or strength metric to move in a positive direction, yet not acknowledging to ourselves that perhaps our nutrition, effort, or recovery has been lacking. In another example, it could be expecting the number on the scale to budge, but not being better in tune with our nutrition or making the effort to move outside of the gym.
I can better accept falling short of my goal having put in more dedicated effort, such as tracking my nutrition, following a progressive, intentional exercise program, and being mindful of recovery the vast majority of time. At least then, I have some more objective data on which to revise my plan or approach to get me closer to my goal(s).
On the other hand, when I haven’t done the work, I have no idea what didn’t work.
There is a saying on one of the pages from my “You are a Badass” calendar and it states, “it’s usually the stuff you want to do the least that changes your life the most.” Yes, tracking your nutrition in an app may be work at first, but on the other side of that is greater clarity with the food that is supportive of your goals. Yes, following a progressive program at times may feel boring, but it helps provide meaningful evidence of where you are progressing and what you need to adjust to accomplish your goals. Going for walks intentionally does require some time out of your day, but it very well might be the thing that helps kickstart your metabolism and improves your management of stress and helps you sleep better.
In closing, the longer you avoid the “work,” the further away your goals will be. If you haven’t been doing the “work,” then you have to be more accepting of the results. This is all easier said than done and does require honest self-reflection.
Change isn’t easy, but you are capable of change.
Start small and start with something. Always take a moment to recognize that even slow progress is still progress.
You can do it. I believe in you.
Your friend in wellness and fitness,
Coach Candice
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