Today, we dive into how to keep up the momentum in your health and fitness journey, even when things get in the way. We’ve all been there… You start out toward a new goal and things are going great. You’re seeing progress and you’re feeling amazing. The future's so bright, you gotta wear shades, as the song goes. Well, before you know it, that smooth sailing turns into rough waters. A kid gets sick, things go off the rails at work, you get injured - whatever it is, you can be sure that it just made your life a lot more stressful and knocked your goal a few rungs down on your life priorities. That’s totally normal and you shouldn’t feel bad about it. But, that doesn’t mean you need to accept it as inevitable. In fact, the irony is that since we know that roadblocks will happen, the only thing you need to do is prepare ahead of time for when they do happen. That’s what we’re covering today. So let’s get into it!  

This is one of the most common issues when it comes to changing your health and fitness habits. Tell me if this sounds like you: “I don’t have enough time to cook healthy meals every day.” “Staying healthy is practically a full-time job, I don’t know how anyone does it.” “I don’t have hours every day to spend on my fitness. I’m too busy [working / watching the kids / taking care of a loved one / etc.] to spend time on myself.” Health and fitness does take time. That’s true. But it often takes a lot less than you think. Now, I’m not going to tell you how to find time. That isn’t the point. You can figure that out easy enough. If your child or family member’s life depended on you finding time to work out, you’d do it, so that isn't the problem. The problem is perspective. What I’m going to ask you is this: is there ever really going to be a time that it’ll be easy? Just like any new habit, there’s not really ever the “perfect” time to make the change. You just have to prioritize making some time for it. Even if it’s 10 minutes per day. Guess what? Dedicating 10 minutes every day to your health and fitness will take you much farther than dedicating an hour once per week. Small steps every single day build momentum. Don’t convince yourself it’s a lack of time. It’s a lack of perspective. Lack of appreciation that something will always be better than nothing. Rewrite your script on what is “good enough.” When you’re clear on that, you can stop trying to trying to “find” time and realize that you can “make” time.  

Time for the truth. Nobody ever achieved anything worthwhile because it was easy. What you want to achieve with your body and fitness requires sacrifice. Sacrifice only happens when you do something that you don’t want to do because it’s worth the tradeoff. I’m not going to overcomplicate the core message here, so let me state it as clearly as possible: You don’t have to feel like doing it to still do it. Instead of trying to build motivation which is an exhaustible resource, cultivate dedication which serves as a guidepost and a set of consistent habits that you do no matter what. Remove the choice. If it’s part of who you are, you’ll do it no matter what.  

This is another one that we can keep really simple. There are three main reasons why this is a roadblock.  

Reason #1: It's actually a matter of discipline rather than confusion. 

If you know at least one thing that you should be doing but can’t make yourself do it, the answer isn’t more information.  

Think about it… if you know “I need to drink more water” but you can’t make yourself do it, is the problem really that you need more info on how to drink more water?  

No, of course not.  

The problem is that you may be hoping to find a “trick” or “secret” that will make you suddenly want to do it. It rarely comes down to how and is almost always rooted in a deeper why. Find your why and the how will take care of itself.  

Reason #2: You’re overcomplicating it.  

Often we overlook just how simple it is to achieve the majority of the result we’re seeking.  

Getting in great shape doesn’t require you to train like an Olympic athlete. In fact, you could look and feel fantastic by just consistently doing some really basic healthy habits and sticking with it.  

Until you’ve nailed the basics and integrated the habits into your life, don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be.  

Reason #3: You’re not asking for help.  

Nobody should try to do it all alone. Especially with health and fitness, there are great resources out there that will help you avoid the unnecessary roadblocks… *cough cough* like this course *cough cough*  

Good news! You’re a West Seattle Health Club member, and that means you have access to knowledgeable trainers, staff, and instructors that are all here to help you succeed. Take advantage of it!  

There are a million reasons why you may be struggling, but there are a million more reasons why that won’t stop you. Stay consistent, keep it simple, and ask for help. We’re here if you need us.