It’s the beginning of the new year and hundreds of thousands have decided to get serious about becoming fit and losing weight. For some, it’s the same thing every year — the first few weeks start out great but after a while, old habits creep back into the picture.
Why do so many resolutions regarding healthy eating and fitness lead to failure hardly one month in?
The cold truth? Healthy living and eating is hard if you’re not used to it. And so is exercise. Try pairing those together for the first time in a few months (or years) and you’re putting yourself in a situation that’s dangerously close to defeat.
Not to say changing your lifestyle and integrating exercise cannot be done — thousands do it all the time. So, why do some people succeed while others fail?
There is no single answer for this, obviously, but one thing that helps many people succeed is realistic goals.
Why? Because they are directly related to your perception and your attitude. Whether you realize it or not, your goals help shape how you measure success.
Here’s the thing, you can set a realistic goal and work your butt of to reach (or beat) that goal or you can set an unrealistic goal and bust your butt and not hit that goal.
Either way, you’ve busted your butt and made progress. However, only one of these scenarios gives your confidence a boost. The other scenario leaves you feeling defeated (even though you were successful).
See how it works? Depending on how you look at it, your confidence gets either a boost or a beating.
For some, the challenge is difficult enough without setting unrealistic expectations.
So do yourself a favor and set some goals you can achieve. Your journey will last longer and you’ll be much happier in the long run.
