I'm just waiting for the PERFECT time!
Many of us wait for the "perfect time" with our health, fitness and nutrition. This "all or nothing" thinking rarely gets us "all" and usually gets us "nothing".
Are you waiting for the perfect time to start eating better, exercising or finally getting in shape?
Are you putting off that dream trip, new project, or that skill you’ve been meaning to learn?
If so, some of these phrases may sound familiar:
When I get a different job.
When things are less busy.
When I find a workout partner.
When I find the right equipment.
When I feel less awkward in the gym.
When I lose 20 lbs.
When I get the right workout routine.
When my fridge is full of the right foods.
Humans are always waiting for the perfect time. But why?
For many it's a great distraction. It helps us avoid the real work of DOING.
For others, perfectionism protects them from potential embarrassment and failure.
Sadly, it also keeps us from being who we know we have the potential to be.
THERE IS NO PERFECT TIME. THERE NEVER WILL BE.
OK, so there might be some magic moment on your fitness journey but it will be surrounded by millions of less magic moments that make up your real life.
We may be talking about a 10 second moment where everything is aligned but this will be an extremely small part of the whole thing.
Yes, go ahead and celebrate the perfect moment when it comes, but please don't wait for it!
TAKE YOUR MOMENTS. MAKE YOUR MOMENTS.
Nobody is going to give you these moments, you have to TAKE your moments.
Hunt them. Chase them. Create them.
Naturally, this is frustrating as we think everyone else's moments just come to them. Everyone else has enough time. Enough money. Enough motivation.
But it IS this way for everyone.
However, there is a perfect moment. There's always a perfect moment.
That moment is RIGHT NOW!
Here. Today. Right now - because that's all we ever have - right now.
JUST START. AT THE BEGINNING.
All you have to do is START and then the moments just keep on coming.
Starting means initiating action. Starting means committing to a choice. This is how you know it's a TRUE start.
Starting is when you lift up one foot and put it in front of the other, not when you stand there debating which road to take.
As long as something is moving, that's a START.
PUSH THROUGH AND EMBRACE RESISTANCE.
Many people who are just starting out assume that because they feel resistance, they have failed.
That because their legs ache walking up a hill, they are not ready to climb that hill.
NO. That's just how it feels sometimes.
Give it time. Resist the urge to press pause. Push though. The tracks will change eventually.
You don't have to fight resistance for the entire trip. You just have to push through the resistance of the first few steps.
GET SUPPORT
For a heavy train to get moving, it may need an additional engine.
We can start - and keep moving- on our own but it certainly helps when someone else gives us a push or pull.
Someone who can call us on our procrastination and perfection.
Someone who can snap us out of our all-or-nothing trance with a gentle nudge and reminder.
For a while, we can even affix ourselves to this someone or something, like hooking that extra engine to our front. As we go along, we can unhook superfluous cars that we realise are weighing us down as we grow lighter, leaner and more mobile.
Eventually, we don’t need that extra engine any more. Our train is now whizzing along just fine on its own. The scenery blurs past the windows and we are heading on a grand adventure.
But in the beginning, we had to start.
What to do next:
Revise your expectations. Recognise there is no perfect time and there never will be.
Carve out time, even if it's imperfect. Give yourself permission to make your health and fitness goals a priority.
Just Start. If you feel stuck, just do something. Anything.
Expect Resistance. It's normal. Push through it. Resistance doesn't mean this won't work.
Get Support. Whether it’s a friend or family member, workout buddy or a coach, find someone to fire up your booster rockets until you can fly on your own.
If you want some help, download your FREE 4 Day Weightloss Reboot Programme