Why we Fail to Follow Through
The follow-through….
The completion of doing the thing we set out to do.
Why is it so hard?
Why do we fail at it?
And more importantly, how can we fix it?
I wish I had a cookie-cutter approach, but I don’t. Because you are not a cookie and neither am I ;)
You are a complex individual with a mindset shaped by your perceptions of yourself, others and experiences you’ve had in the past.
But as humans we can often struggle, especially in fitness to follow through, even though we have the best intentions. So this month, I’m offering some simple advice to help you follow through.
Because I KNOW the struggle is real.
First, let’s look at why follow through is so challenging…
Competing Priorities
If you know, you know. I’ve spoken to so many women who share with me their struggle in “juggling” it all. Your kids, your job, groceries, activities, aging parents, your pet, your partner, your LIFE! So many directions and demands and so we often, as women, put ourselves at the bottom of the to-do list, on the back-burner or hidden on the “I’ll get to it later” tab. I’ve been there many times and still face the often difficult task of setting boundaries. And so priorities shift and shuffle and we then fail to follow through.
Not “seeing” Results Fast Enough
This one is huge… especially for the woman who starts a fitness program and after a few weeks fails to see big changes. Perhaps we’re lead to believe that after a few bicep curls, our muscles will suddenly appear, or after consistently eating more veggies and more protein, we’ll suddenly shed extra pounds. Our timeline is warped. We want results fast. We expect changes readily. And yet, true change both inside (mindset) and outside (body recomp) takes TIME. Like a lot of time. Like “more than you think” time. And so, we opt out and fail to follow through.
All or Nothing Kinda Thinking
You’ve heard me say this many a time… “something is NOT nothing” and “every bit counts”. But still…the old mindset of “all-or-nothing” dies hard. If you’ve been programmed into thinking you gotta be “all in” or nada, you’re ultimately setting yourself up for failure. Because we can only go “all in” for so long, until #1 (competing priorities) cast a cloud over our best intentions. That’s not to say don’t try, don’t bother or aim low. But all-or-nothing is a perfectionist approach which ultimately leads to the failure to follow through in the long run.
So… How do we fix this?
That’s the million dollar question isn’t it?
There’s really no “one way” to solve this problem which will ebb and flow throughout a fitness journey. But there are a few things we can do to decrease the chances of us starting/stopping/starting again and again. In other words stop this cycle or pattern where we lack to follow through.
Here are a few suggestions…
Delegate… when you can
Wearing the “I can do it all” cape is one many of us wear… I too am guilty of this. I’m ready to jump in and do all the things, take care of the people I love, my home, my work, as well as a dozen other things. Can you relate? Delegating is hard because it means letting go of control and “perfection” and that my friend, can be a hard pill to swallow! It might mean letting your kids take care of stuff you usually do… as imperfect as it might be. It might mean letting some things go and being OK with that. Delegating means deciding that YOU don’t have to do it all… and though it may not be done the way YOU do it… it still ultimately gets done. That’s a win in my book and will help you to carve time to then follow through!
Ditch your Timeline
Expectation management is key. Expecting results fast leads to a halt because you have a false timeline in your head. It doesn’t take 4 weeks. It won’t take 3 months. It takes years. I say this because, just recently I was asked those golden questions… “how long does it take to see muscles, to get fit, to have muscle definition?” Those questions alone tells me the person doesn’t “get it”… doesn’t understand that it’s not a timeline of WHEN you achieve a certain goal. It’s about SUSTAINING and MAINTAINING it… which is a life-long process. Ditch the short-term timeline, adjust your expectations and follow through for the long run!
Develop a different Mindset
This one is tough, as I mentioned earlier because our mindset is our perception of ourselves and others. The paradigms and stories we’ve told ourselves over and over and over again. Things we believe to be true… even if they’re false. A mindset makeover takes time and effort and repetition! It does not happen overnight. The “all-or-nothing” mindset stems from the desire to be perfect… yet we all know perfection does NOT exist. Ever. There will be many imperfect attempts, mishaps, detours and stops in this thing called a lifelong fitness journey.
Would it be ideal to get in your workouts 3x/week? Yes, of course!
Will that happen every single week for the rest of your life… all the time? No, highly unlikely.
Does that mean you give up and throw in the towel. Negative.
You still do whatever bits you can…small, imperfect, quick, simple bits. Cuz something is ALWAYS better than nothing.
And you deserve something… always;)
I wish I could do it for you….
I wish I could nudge you each time you wanted to quit, stop and fail to follow through.
But I can’t ;)
All I can say, after 30 years of setting boundaries, delegating stuff, quieting the perfectionist in me with imperfect action and sub-par workouts done consistently, is that YOU too can follow through!
It’s about keeping a tight grip on the things that matter(you, your health, your body, your mind) and a letting go of things that don’t.
One messy rep at time.
Coach Lisa 💪💕
