They are annoying, always in the way, and do not care who they have to cut off to get ahead. You’ve seen them. That driver that is weaving in and out of traffic, moving from lane to lane, not caring about whose life (s)he has to endanger to get by. They are speeding up and slowing down, vrooming away one minute and then riding someone’s tail the next. They seem like they are way ahead, but as you approach the red light, you notice them sitting right beside you. Despite all of their rushing around, they actually did not make any progress.
Whenever I see this situation, I always wonder if the person realizes that they did not advance. Though it may feel like they got ahead, they are back next to the people they started with. I notice that people do similar things in their own lives, especially with their fitness goals. They will hear about some new diet or workout plan that all but promises unbelievable results. Or people set super high, unachievable goals and perform all types of unhealthy behaviors to lose 30 pounds in 30 days because they have a special event coming up. And normally, the results are similar to the speeding car. They will realize that the diet or workout plan is not maintainable and will burn out after a couple weeks. Or, they will lose the weight for the special event but quickly gain it back in the weeks to follow. And at the end of the day, you are right back where you started. At the time, it was exciting to starve yourself for 7 days so you could lose the 10lbs before your cruise. You felt motivated and energized at the thought of “dropping a quick 30 pounds” the month before your high school reunion. But at the end of the day, do these methods REALLY help you get to your overall destination any more quickly?
We have to stop being so short sighted with progress and, instead, think about where we want to be long term. What’s wrong with aiming to lose one pound a week and being fifty pounds lighter by the end of the year? Isn’t it draining losing the same ten pounds over and over again, whenever an event pops up? What would happen if you set small, manageable goals that continually moved you closer to your overall goal? How would it feel to finally reach your goal size and always be ready for any event or trip that pops up? Think about how much more benefit you would receive from maintaining healthy habits that helped you to look AND feel better, not only for your event but year round. What if this time next year, your goal was finally realized after years of speeding up and slowing down and only obtaining the illusion of progress?
I used to be that speeding car until I realized I was wasting gas, time, and mental energy speeding through traffic only to get caught at a red light (plus, multiple speeding tickets will change a person 🙂 Now, I set my car on cruise control and enjoy the journey. I invite you to do the same!
Reflection: What goals are you “speeding” through? Do you find yourself taking a shortcut and trying to skip the journey? Take a few minutes to think about a couple goals that you are working on. Pinpoint small, manageable steps you can take to more effectively work towards the desired outcome. Make sure to celebrate your small successes as you move closer to achieving your big goal!
Written By:
Joy Diggs, MS, CPT, RD, LD, WLS
Certified Personal Trainer
Registered and Licensed Dietitian
Certified Weight Loss Specialist
Owner, Digg Deep Fitness
I love this! Thank you Joy for all you do and continue to do.