There is a huge missing link in my opinion whe
n it comes to actually reaching your goals and keeping those results long term. For the purposes of this blog, I’m going to be talking about the most commonly requested goals that we are asked for as coaches and personal trainers. These are usually “lose weight and tone up”. This essentially means dropping some body fat and also building some muscle.
There is nothing wrong at all with having this as a goal. I want to say that at the start because there are more and more coaches out there saying that you shouldn’t have aesthetic or physique goals and I don’t think that is the case. I don’t think there is anything wrong with having goals like this, I just don’t think that aesthetics are the only thing we should be striving for.
And this leads me onto where people make mistakes when trying to achieve their goals. It might sound counter-intuitive, but focusing and fixating solely on how you want your body to look is not going to help you achieve those things. You need to shift focus far more onto the regular habits and actions that you need to do on a regular basis to get you to where you want to be.
One of the main reasons for this is that actually seeing physical changes can take a really long time. As a society, we are so impatient and we want to see results right away. But in reality, this stuff takes time and consistency. So if we aren’t seeing changes, it is so easy to think there is no point and to give up.
This is where changing that mindset, committing to things for the long haul and focusing on everything you need to do, in regards to your habits, to get you to a happier and healthier place comes in.
Solely focusing on physical changes can be so fickle. You could do absolutely everything right, tick every box but still not feel much of a change or see a change on the scale imminently.
It is so important then to focus on the bigger picture. Why do you want to be? Healthier, fitter, stronger, leaner?
What is going to keep you going when you don’t feel like doing what you need to do? I can promise you, it’s not the image of chiselled abs or looking fit in a bikini.
It’s the deeper stuff-like wanting to show up for future you, for longevity, being able to be independent as you age, for mental health and clarity, to feel better in general…whatever it might be that’s personal to you.
So here is my advice: stop focusing on the end goal. In reality, fitness and health is for life so there is no real end point. And focus more on all the things you need to do to get yourself there and focus on why this goal really matters to you. The physical/aesthetic results will come as a product of doing this, I promise you. Try to enjoy the whole process and you’ll surprise yourself with what you are able to achieve.
