THE POWER OF DECIDING: DO JUST ONE THING

People often ask me what I believe is the most important step to take when it comes to losing weight and getting more fit.

“Should I focus on my diet?”  “What is the best type of exercise for fat loss, cardio or strength training?”  Well, if you’ve read any of my posts, you know I’ve covered these topics.  But I now have to admit I wasn’t exactly right.

I’ve discovered that it’s not diet or exercise that must be conquered first:  It’s your mind.  It’s your psychology.  It’s you making a decision… it’s you deciding that losing weight and living a fit life is your vision and it’s what you want.

It’s the little voice inside your head that is waiting for you to DECIDE.    And to “decide” is to cut off all other possibilities.  And I meant to truly decide.

So, if you are not where you want to be, start by asking yourself:  “what is preventing me from taking action or following through?”  If you know working out and eating healthy is good for you, why don’t we just do it?

We rationalize.  I want to lose weight but…

• I love to eat food.
• I don’t want to limit my enjoyment of life (eating).
• It takes tremendous sacrifice.
• It doesn’t work, I don’t know what to do, I…I…I…

The list goes on and on and on.  We come up with reasons and excuses NOT to do it.  The only thing keeping you from what you want is the STORY you tell yourself.  And as long as you keep telling that story, you’ll remain in the same space.

Take a moment and think about what you really want to have or where you want to be, and ask yourself to recognize the ways you rationalize that keep you where you are… make a list, be honest, and maybe, just maybe, the little light bulb in your head will turn on and that little voice will be stilled.

Now that you have some clarity, let’s talk about how you can OVERCOME these rationalizations.    Here are 2 quick strategies to help you BREAKTHRU (spelling always intentional).

TAKE ACTION BY DOING SOMETHING, NOW!

First strategy to employ:  take action, no matter how small.  Remember, the story you tell yourself will prevent you from doing anything.  So break the pattern by taking action.  DO SOMETHING.

Why does this work?  Momentum.  Once you start to move… you have a tendency to keep moving (think laws of physics!).  Once you show up and work out for 15 minutes… you’ll do 20, then 30…then…

Just do something.  Don’t think about it.  Do it.

BREAK IT DOWN INTO SMALL, DOABLE CHUNKS

The second strategy is to break your vision down into small manageable, doable chunks of action that will move you towards your vision.  Pick one new habit that moves you in the right direction and then do it.  Right away.  In the moment.  We often think about things we should remove from our lives.  Let’s agree to shift that paradigm:  don’t worry about taking things away… let’s agree to add things, the right things.  For example, instead of cutting out soda, decide to drink more water; instead of giving up deserts, try eating more salads; instead of avoiding the couch, just decide to move for 30 minutes more each day and then enjoy the couch.  The more positive things you add, the more the negative things (that prevent you from your goal) will start to fall away.

Remember the saying “Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.”?  Same idea here.

So my question for you today is, what is the one thing you can do, right now, to move you closer to your goal?

Need to move more?  Then stand up RIGHT NOW and go for a 5-minute walk.
Need to eat better?  Give up bread for or sugar when you eat your next meal.
Need to relax?  Download a free meditation app and meditate for 5 minutes.

The best advice my Mom ever gave me in regards to parenting (and life)?  Be consistent.  So pick something you can do, now, and do it.  Then be consistent with it.

The next thing you know, you’ll be achieving your goals consistently and easily.  Okay, maybe not easily, but this approach sure beats the rise and fall of over-committing to an unsustainable approach to change.

Let me know if you have any questions you’d like addressed or questions you’d like answered.  I am here to serve – you can reach me at [email protected]

Until next time,

Phil Dozois, Owner, Breakthru Fitness