Setting Yourself Up For Success

Thinking that fitness is an "all or nothing" proposition is a common but ultimately destructive mindset we need to avoid.

When you make the decision to take charge of your health, you probably think about changes you can make on several fronts: exercise, nutrition, sleep, supplements, and so on. There's no question that in order to make the biggest difference in your overall health, you need to address more than one area. Having said that, thinking that you have to change every aspect of your life as of 7:00am tomorrow, and that doing anything less means failure, is a sure-fire route to disappointment.

Changes mean nothing if you don't stick with them. And chances are you won't stick with them if you suddenly throw yourself from inactivity into a fitness boot camp that would make a professional athlete exhausted. If you make incremental changes, however, and let each become a habit before introducing more, you are much more likely to keep up your good work. Before you know it, you're living a whole new lifestyle that has completely replaced your old routine. The key is taking one step at a time.

Hand in hand with that approach is the realization that fitness is NOT an "all or nothing" proposition. So many people think that if they can't commit to a complete rebuilding of their lives all at once, that they've failed. Or that if they miss one workout or eat one unhealthy food, they might as well give up. They set the bar for success so high that no one could ever achieve it. The worst part about this belief is that the feeling of failure erases all the good that was done otherwise: that piece of cake doesn't negate the week's worth of healthy eating that came before it; sleeping in one morning instead of working out doesn't mean you're back to square one on your exercise program. We need to realize that we're all human, and we'll all slip up from time to time. Frankly, I don't even know if "slip up" is the right term because that suggests a mistake was made. If you're feeling too tired to work out, that could just be your body telling you it needs a break. That piece of cake could be just what you need to remind yourself that unhealthy food leaves you feeling unhealthy.

I know it might seem strange to hear me saying it's ok to take it easy from time to time, since those who know my fitness program know that it's pretty strict. The fact is that relaxing the rules a bit can actually help restore your mindset to a place where you're ready to jump back into your program harder than ever.

For example, I completed my second 90-day round of P90X at the beginning of August. My plan was to do a month of modified P90X workouts before starting another round. A couple of weeks into the modified month, however, my head just wasn't into it. My motivation was lagging, and I was mentally exhausted. So, I rearranged my schedule. I decided to take a week off (with just some light activity, but no specific agenda of workouts), and start the next round after the break. Now, on Thursday of my rest week, I'm already feeling rejuvenated and looking forward to Monday and the start of my next round. Did I lose any of my gains in this week off? Probably. I expect my cardio fitness will have some catching up to do. But I know that it will take very little time to get back to where I was, and with a re-energized mindset I'll be able to build and improve with renewed enthusiasm.

(While breaks can be good, don't misunderstand me: when I talk about taking some time off, you first have to earn it. One week of solid workouts doesn't entitle you to a week's vacation. I had been going almost non-stop since February, and I needed a break. Time off should be the exception, not the rule.)

My ultimate point is this: balanced fitness is a lifestyle choice that touches many aspects of life. All the good intentions in the world won't amount to anything, though, if we don't stay committed. To do that, start slowly and build, and don't be afraid to hit the "pause" button from time to time. Far from signifying failure, it could really be the key to your lifelong success.