6 Easy Steps Trumping All Obstacles.
Too often, humans run into pointless brick walls in life. It's easy to lose hope and choose simply to stop trying for hours on end, days on end, months on end. And then what? Your life has stagnated because you decided to give up! The good news is that when you finally decide that enough was enough, there are always options - but it does require some work. In this article I've outlined six specific steps to help motivate you get past any obstacle that may be standing in your way and get back into the swing of things.
The first two steps are about finding the right mindset. The last four steps are about action.
Throughout this article, I'm going to refer to "you" and "your", because we all are individuals: there's no one-size-fits-all approach because everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. But these strategies should work for most people at reasonable levels of fitness or fitness achievement overall; if they don't, then you know what to do to make them work!
Step 1: You're stronger than you think
It's easy to give up when obstacles keep appearing in your path - especially when you compare yourself with people who seem to be doing things much better than you. People who are genuinely strong and energetic can still have problems, however.
Remember why you started exercising in the first place. Maybe you had to take some time off from exercise to re-build yourself after surgery or an illness, or maybe your life was turned upside down by personal tragedy and it took a few years for everything to settle down again.
Whatever the reason, it's easy to give up, but even if you're not quite where you want to be, there is strength and energy within you that has been neglected for far too long - or maybe never used at all. And when people see you moving, they notice how much stronger and healthier you look compared with several years ago. You've built a foundation for success!
Step 2: You are the only one stopping you from succeeding
The first step is an internal process, but once you've changed your mindset to be in alignment with your goals, it's time to start taking action. Some people may try to stop you from succeeding. Don't let them. Focus on yourself and on your own judgement; if someone tries to tell you what's right and what's wrong, ignore them unless they can prove their case - otherwise they probably just have a vested interest in getting in your way. If people try to convince you that they'll help you succeed, listen politely, but remember that ultimately it's up to you - not them - if anything happens or not.
Step 3: Keep the big picture in mind
If you've paid attention, then you'll know that significant events can happen at any time. With a big enough event, your entire world can change in just a few days. Your life may become stressful after it happens; that's natural, but there's no need to let it bring you down. The only thing that really matters when something unexpected happens is how you deal with the situation itself; any emotional feelings will dissipate once the upheaval has ended.
There are two types of big picture: what you focus on during your entire life and how much control you have over how things turn out for yourself. If you're not satisfied with either of them, then you can work on improving them. It's never too late to change your life - but if you don't reach a high enough level of fitness and health very early on in life, then it will be impossible to change much in the future.
Step 4: Stay the course even when it feels like a downward spiral
It's easy to lose determination when you run into problems. Sometimes it feels like you're getting nowhere and that nothing is getting better. When this happens, remember that every step counts: no matter how small or insignificant they may seem later, at the time they all build up your foundation for success.
It helps to have other people around who also have similar goals. If you have a partner, try to have a date every week where you go for a walk and talk about your goals. If you're not in a relationship, then try to find someone who wants to make a healthier future for themselves and their children. Having people who understand your goals makes working toward them feel more guaranteed, because it shows that there are people out there just like yourself.
Step 5: Plan when necessary
When you swim through the water, your body automatically takes the path of least resistance; if you paddle hard enough in one direction, even though the water is flowing in another direction completely different from the one that you're trying to go towards, then eventually something will happen and you'll hit something solid.
This is a good analogy for how to carve out your own path in fitness. If you want to get somewhere and you know where it is, then don't give up simply because it seems like the easiest thing to do is stay where you are: you'll never make any progress! If something doesn't work, try something else. It's perfectly fine to change strategies as long as you're still working toward your goals.
Step 6: Don't forget about the small things
When there are too many obstacles in your way, it can feel like there's a mountain standing between where you are now and where you want to be.