Do Less of This And More Of That

Do less of this and more of that could refer to anything. It could be eating less candy and more fiber, but it’s not. Who really wants to eat less candy? The headline refers to an abstract idea, similar to something Dr. Phil might say, but more on that later.

Navigating life and the world of health and fitness is a struggle. Staying on the straight and narrow with a positive mindset is difficult because life’s challenges like to throw water on your raging fire of positivity. Have you experienced everything going great, then one thing doesn’t go your way, and boom.

It all goes to shit.

It does not matter if the thing is small; it puts you in a crappy mood, and all the other good stuff happening in your life disappears. Are you starting to get the picture?

Let’s explore what you should be doing less of and more of, and how it ties into your health and fitness.

Do Less of This

Let’s get one thing straight.

I am not one of those morning people who grin and throw rainbows at everyone before coffee. Don’t you love those kinds of people? That said, I like to think of myself as a glass-half-full person. Not many coaches will survive by being a glass-half-empty person.

When someone lacks self-belief, the coach had better instill some, or the client will not stick around. That brings me to my first point about what we should do less of.

Which is……. putting yourself in a negative loop.

It’s like getting down in the dumps, then jumping into the negative hole and keeping digging. When planning, I jump the gun and peek ahead. When things don’t go as planned, I shatter like broken glass. No matter how the rest of my life is, I will jump into the negative hole and keep digging.

Everyone is invited to my pity party.

It’s easy to let disappointment spiral when something doesn’t go your way. So, how does this relate to health and fitness?

The biggest thing is when people have been nailing their workouts and nutrition, then they look in the mirror or jump on the scale and see zero progress. Then, the pity party starts, and the negative self-talk spirals, usually going one of two ways.

1. You stay on track because you know you’re on the correct path.

2. You quit.

Here is how to do less of two and more of one.

More of That

When something doesn’t go as planned, and it puts me in a funk, let the wallowing begin. But staying there will not get anything done except reinforcing the existing negative loop.

So, when something you want really badly doesn’t go your way, how do you snap out of it? Do you quit to avoid disappointment, or do you get on life’s horse and ride again? But before telling you what you should be doing more of, here’s a piece of wisdom I’ve gathered in 16 years of personal training.

No one ever got closer to their goals by quitting. It might feel ok to quit to avoid disappointment, but the feeling of regret often comes charging back.

So, what more of that do you need to do?

·   Take more action, even if it’s a small step towards what you want. A small step forward will help beat that regret down.

·   Forgive yourself and realize not everything will go your way, even if you worked hard for it.

It’s simple but not easy advice to follow, but it helps.

Wrapping Up

Disappointment, pity parties, and being stuck in a negative loop happen. But the trick is not to stay there for too long. Take your licks, don’t deny the bad feelings you’re experiencing, and when you are ready, act and practice self-forgiveness.

When you know better, you will do better.

Work With Me Online

Whether you’re just starting or you’re tired of piecing together random YouTube workouts,  my online coaching will help you succeed with:

Customized workouts you can do at home

Mobility routines to reduce stiffness and move better

Expert guidance and progress tracking that fits your lifestyle

Real accountability

Click here to get started today.