Better Late Than Never (#26)

“One year from now you’re gonna wish you started a year ago.” -anonymous

 

 

This quote is something that I keep in the back of my mind whenever I feel like “the ship has already sailed”. The reason it’s difficult to begin a task after taking time off is often because we start considering where we could or should be. The alternative to this, of course, is to focus on where we’re currently at.

 

In workout consistency, I discussed how it took me a long time to finally begin playing the guitar consistently. Initially, I had every intention of playing my guitar every day and getting really good at it. However, the “busyness of life” took over and before I knew it five years had passed without me knowing how to play much of anything at all! At that point I could have thrown in the towel, chalked it up as “wasn’t meant to be”, and just sold my guitar. But instead I recognized that in five more years from now I’ll have yet another opportunity to gain back that same five years of experience.

 

The key takeaway here is to… [*wait for it*] – GET STARTED NOW!

 

 

Each journey begins with a “TODAY”.

 

What are some improvement areas in your health and fitness that are “better late than never”? A 5k run? A meal prep plan? A lean body? Perhaps taking the first step means starting a new gym membership.

 

One of the things that keeps us feeling youthful and vigorous is keeping an optimistic outlook towards the future. In life, when we tell ourselves that it’s “better late than never” we give ourselves another opportunity to make things right. We know that we prioritize the things most important to us, so why not take advantage of time management strategies like Mini-Habits to get started? 🙂

 

Those of you who truly want this will have no problem getting started TODAY!

 

Trust me, your future-self will thank you 😉

 

Key Takeaways:

  • Focus on where you’re currently at (today), rather than where you “should or would” be
  • Starting “late” rather than never
  • We will always be able to make time for things that are important to us
  • A year from now you’ll be grateful you started a year ago
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Mini Habits! (#21)

You and I are creatures of habits. It’s amazing how many decisions are made in our daily lives without thinking. Some studies even show that subconscious habit makes up 40% of our daily actions! Therefore, in order to keep that ‘40%’ full of healthy actions we’ll discuss how to change unhealthy habits with “mini habits”.

 

One misconception about habits is that they take a lot of effort to build, but I disagree. Nature shows us that a small snowball rolling downhill will eventually get bigger and stronger with enough momentum. The snowball doesn’t require much “effort” once it gets going. In the same way, we’ll use effortless mini habits to build daily momentum towards our goals.

 

 

A small snowball (mini habit) doesn’t require much effort once momentum kicks in.

 

 

There’s a saying that goes “success is built upon success”. Fortunately this quote never mentions how big the success has to be! Think of a mini-habit as a daily task towards your goal that’s SO simple that it’s hard not to do it every day. For instance:

 

  • If your goal is to improve your gym consistency, start a mini habit of driving past your local gym on the way home each day (nothing more!)
  • If you want to build a strong core, start a mini habit of simply laying in sit-up position on the ground for a few seconds (yep! that’s it!)
  • If you want to drink more water each day, start a mini habit of simply filling up a water bottle (I didn’t even say you had to drink it!)

 

“Great! But isn’t this a little TOO simple…what’s the catch?”

 

Mini habits are designed to get you comfortable with taking the first step towards your new goal (a healthier habit).

 

 

Therefore, these too-easy-not-to-do mini-habits simply serve as your “daily bare minimum” accomplishment for the day. However, I assure you it won’t be long before you naturally feel compelled to do more simply because you “might as well”. You’ll figure:

 

  • “I’m already driving by the gym each day (mini habit accomplished), I might as well go inside on the treadmill for a couple minutes”
  • “I’m already down here in sit-up position (mini habit accomplished), I might as well do a couple”
  • “I’ve already filled my water bottle (mini habit accomplished), I might as well drink some”

 

Remember: The “mini habit accomplished” is your main goal, anything else is an extra bonus.

The power of a simplistic habit checklist goes a long way.

 

Furthermore, I would seriously recommend making your momentum visible by utilizing a journal or checklist calendar. Keeping track of your progress this way is a great way to see your “success building upon itself”. Seeing your daily momentum gives yourself a satisfying sense of accomplishment every day. The longer your daily “success streak” gets, the more you’ll want to keep it alive.

 

And boom – you’ve just created discipline without even realizing it.

Let’s get that snowball rollin 🙂

 

Key Takeaway:

  • New habits are best acquired through daily momentum
  • Daily momentum is best sustained through simple, mini habits
  • A mini-habit (baby step) is something that’s “too-easy-not-to-do“
  • Keep track of your daily progress in a journal or calendar checklist
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Mental Gains (#20)

Man pointing at head

As physical beings, we’re naturally inclined to focus on the physical whenever we get tired during a workout. However, the reality is that mental fatigue almost always precedes physical fatigue. Today’s professional athletes are well aware of how the mind effects bodily response. In Power of Imagination, we discussed one mental approach in helping to enhance our workouts. Today we’ll go over two more ways we can enhance our workouts mentally.

 

1) Perceived Strength

We have the ability to alter our minds into thinking the weight we’re lifting isn’t as physically strenuous as it really is!

 

‘Mental’ gains starts with (*wait for it*) the MIND!

 

Our perception of a task has a direct impact on our mental gains. For example, instead of looking at 35-pound dumb bells as 35 pounds, envision them as weighing only 25-pounds and watch how your body responds accordingly! Sometimes I’ll even go as far as talking to the weights out loud to reinforce things mentally:

 

“C’mon, c’mon! Squeeze! Light weight! Light weight! Too easy!”

 

Thankfully, this mental strategy works ideal for when we’re already fatigued and working through a set. Obviously, the best part is that we actually are lifting heavier than what we’re projecting. This works out great because now we’re building strength from our mental gains.

 

2) The Mental Process of Staying in the Moment

While recently working out I decided to switch things up by lifting lighter weights with higher repetitions (about 20). However, I was struggling to complete the full set of 20 reps as I became fatigued towards the end. At this point I decided not to worry about end results, and instead, focus on each individual moment.

 

In other words, instead of focusing on the entire set, I refocused my attention on completing just “one rep”, 20-consecutive times.

 

Slowing down and concentrating on each individual rep helps build mental endurance.

 

This type of process strategy allowed me to stay in the moment and mentally reset after each rep. Perhaps one the greatest benefits is that it allows you to refocus all your energy on the now. The next time you’re struggling through a set just remind yourself to slow things down and refocus on what you’re trying to accomplish. The results will speak for themselves!

 

Things to Keep in…Mind

 

Developing mental gains is a skill that requires practice. Ultimately, both strength and mental gains compliment each other due to the synergizing efforts of our mind and body (ie. picture your brain as your entire body). So even if you’re a beginner weightlifter, it’s paramount that you begin looking at your exercises as mental-workouts because the more you stimulate the mind the stronger you become!

 

Key Takeaways:

  • Mental fatigue precedes physical fatigue
  • Our perception of a task has a direct impact on our mental gains
  • Refocus all your mental energy on the now
  • Developing mental gains is a skill that requires practice
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“Why Not Me?” (Effort) (#9)

Man looking at sky.
“Wow, that person seems like such a natural, I’d never be able to achieve that!”

 

If the above quote sounds familiar to you, no worries. In fact, the person writing this article has also feel victim to these thoughts on numerous occasion. While it’s easy to get visual overwhelmed at the sight of someone’s progress, we often slip into the trap of disregarding the hard work these people put in on a consistent basis. Today I’d like to challenge your thinking from “how did they?” to “why not me?”

 

Remember: The people who are in incredible shape weren’t born that way. 

 

I’m a firm believer that we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others, but rather focus our attention on becoming the strongest version of ourselves. Asking ourselves “why not me?” immediately shifts the focus to our personal potential.

 

It’s impossible to live up to someone else’s standards, so why not have fun and live up to your own?

 

For instance, instead of :

 

“How in the world will I ever be able to lose 10 lbs as quickly as Laura did!?”

 

How about:

 

“What’s stopping me from putting forth my own best effort like Laura and seeing what happens?”

 

One common denominator of success that I’ve noticed is that success begins with something each of us can control – our effort. Focusing on your best effort, rather than the result, enables you to realize you have less control over the results as you think.

 

Thankfully, having this type of process-mindset keeps you from comparing yourself with others and redirects your attention back to your progress.

 

So, if the first step towards your health and fitness goal is something that you can control (your effort), then why not you?

 

Key Takeaways:

  • Challenge your mindset by simply asking, “Why not me?”
  • Our attention should be on becoming the best version of ourselves
  • Achieving our fitness goals begin with something you can control – your personal effort.
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Why Exercise? (Exercise Incentives) (#2)

Throughout the years I’ve learned to look at my exercise routine as a daily journey. The past several years of my exercise journey have taught me key values like discipline, consistency and mental focus, as well as a comprehensive understanding of how our body works. These exercise incentives have taught me the value of regular exercise.

 

This questions unlocks the key to you enjoying your lifelong fitness journey.

 

Excellent question! People have all sorts of exercise incentives: to fit into that wedding dress they love, a desire to feel stronger, to gain more confidence, to clear one’s head after a long day of work – the list goes on. So with that, I’m going to answer the above question with another question:

 

How does keeping good health impact the things that are most meaningful to you in life?

Your health affects not only yourself, but also your family, friends, and loved ones.

 

For instance:

    • Does the ability to squat down and play with your grand-kids someday have any meaning to you?
    • How about feeling more energetic throughout your work day?
    • Do you want to be able to sleep better at night before those big business meetings in the mornings?
    • How about a stress release at the end of a long work day?
    • How important is your health for those home & gardening projects you love so much?

 

Here’s the key: We’ll only commit to a purpose if it adds value and meaning to our lives.

 

Stop and write down the things that are important to you in life. Really think about it. Your exercise incentives are personalized to you.

 

Keeping others in mind while exercising puts you into a different mindset.

 

Whether it’s family, business, hobbies, or personal well-being, there are exercise incentives in just about every area of our lives. This is why it’s so important to constantly remind ourselves of what (or whom) we’re exercising for. Doing so also keeps us consistent on our journey at times where we don’t feel like working out.

 

Here are some additional exercise incentives:

  • Increased lifespan
  • Oxygenated body
  • Reduced risk of diabetes
  • Improved memory
  • Decreased stress

 

Even if you’ve been putting off exercise for a while – don’t worry about it! Instead, recognize today as a new day and start celebrating the beginning of a new YOU!

 


Key takeaways:

  • Your health impacts the quality of those things which are valuable and meaningful to you in life
  • Your exercise incentives are unique and personalized to you
  • It’s important to constantly remind ourselves of what (or whom) we’re exercising for
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How To Get Motivated To Workout Again

How To Get Motivated To Workout Again is something that many people of all ages are faced with! Today’s video covers basic steps you can take on how to get motivated to workout again (even if you’re over 50!)

 

 

Hear about how 51-year old Anna started Boot Camp in her late 40s!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TplNzn_gpzg&list=PLhabvuuDy34ftyEKzMG5mbC4K12LOPnuc&index=22&t=0s

 

The importance of Staying in your Lane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2li9E49-klI

 

Start Small and Build Healthy Habits!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gUmiPk9Bs4

 

Check out why most people struggle with Exercise Consistency: https://dailyfitboost.com/why-we-struggle-with-workout-consistency/

 

No matter how old you are, it’s NEVER too late!: https://dailyfitboost.com/better-late-than-never/

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