Have you ever set a challenging goal, made sacrifices to achieve it, and heard a quiet, nagging voice in the back of your head ask, “Why am I doing this?” I don’t ask myself this question too often, but, sometimes, in the middle of a super intense workout, I will look around the gym and think to myself, if I stop right now and go home, nobody will know. WHY AM I DOING THIS?
The human body is funny. It does not like change. The body wants to remain as content and comfortable as possible. Anytime you make an effort to change, the body will resist. Why? Because the body wants to conserve as much energy as possible. Anytime you decide to make a change, the body has to work harder. It has to go outside of its norm and develop new thoughts, new behaviors, and new actions. And it can be uncomfortable. Think about the times that you have set an ambitious goal. Maybe you wanted a promotion at work. Maybe you wanted to lose a certain amount of weight by the end of the month. Maybe you wanted to save money to go on a vacation or shopping spree. Regardless of what that goal was, you had to do things that you were not normally accustomed to doing. If you were trying to save money, you may have turned down invitations for dinner or drinks with friends. Or, if you wanted to lose weight, maybe you woke up a little earlier to get in extra workout sessions. Despite the goal, you had to deal with a little discomfort to achieve your goal.
When you set an ambitious goal, make sure you have an answer ready for this question. When things get hard, you are going to have a moment, regardless how brief, when you will hear your body whisper for you to stop. It will ask you why you are even attempting to change. If you don’t have an answer ready, you may find yourself quitting and not persevering to the end. Envision yourself achieving your goal. Reflect on this mental picture so often that when your body tries to stop, your mind won’t let it. You will feel yourself pushing even harder towards your goal because you will remember exactly what you are working towards. And your mind won’t rest until you achieve it.
Written by:
Joy Diggs, MS, CPT, RD, LD
Certified Personal Trainer
Registered Dietitian
Owner of Digg Deep Fitness
www.diggdeepfit.com
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