5 Mistakes People Make When Trying to Make a Change
Have you ever tried to make a change and come up short?
You're excited to make a change and you've decided "it's time." You're super motivated and everything seems like it's going really well. After a little, the original excitement and motivation dies off and something happens that gets you "off track." You interpret this as failing. Maybe you try again, and maybe you "fail" again. Eventually, you label yourself as a failure and stop trying for a while. You go back to what you're used to, where you feel safe, and familiar.
If that sounds like you, I'd like you to take a look at the list below, and see if you fell into one (or more) of the categories below:
My goal was too big
I wasn't enjoying the process (things I was doing).
I wasn't patient and I gave up after setbacks I deemed as "failures"
I had unrealistic expectations
I was trying to make too many changes at once
Your goal was too big
Dial it back a little. Break your goal up into little tasks that are easy to do. "Lose weight" isn't a goal, it's an outcome. What is a goal? Exercising 3-4x/week (if you're just starting out, aim for 2x/week and once that gets easier, make your goal a little bigger).
You weren't enjoying the process (things I was doing).
“If you can’t sustain your efforts, you can’t retain your results.” If you're not enjoying the process at all, you're more likely going to stop doing that thing once your initial "motivation" and excitement wears off OR you’ll hit your goal and stop doing the things that got you to where you are and slowly return to how things were. You cannot rely on "motivation" and excitement to push you through. Find things you enjoy doing and/or find people you enjoy doing it with so you’ll do it for years and years.
You weren't patient and gave up after setbacks you deemed as "failures"
Patience is key. Goals aren't hit overnight. Most things don't just happen in 6-12 weeks. In my experience, the faster it comes, the faster it goes (this is especially true with weight loss). Take "setbacks" as lessons. If something didn't work, get curious about the situation and ask yourself what happened, maybe you need to change your goal and make it smaller.
You had unrealistic expectations
This goes hand-in-hand with #4. Don't expect things to come easily. Don't expect things to come quickly. Remember that it's not as much a "plan" as it is a "preference." To think we have control over everything is laughable (I have to remind myself of this often). Realize there will be obstacles and get into a learning mindset - so that when the obstacles come, you don't get frustrated, just curious.
You were trying to make too many changes at once.
Take it one little goal at a time. Don't try and exercise 3-4x/week, drink more water, eat veggies at every meal and get up from your desk every 2 hours all at once. Holy FRICK that's overwhelming. You’ll burn yourself out. Choose one. Do it until it's easy, and then choose another
If you’re looking to feel more confident in your body, learn how to let go of dieting for good to enjoy food without guilt, and turn exercise into something you love to do rather than something you “have” to do, submit a client application to get in contact with me! I work with clients virtually all over the world helping those who are frustrated with dieting and want to change their relationship with food, exercise and themselves.
Hi, I’m Azul Corajoria, an Integrative Health Coach, Personal Trainer & Yoga Instructor. I support my clients in making step-by-step changes so that they can live a healthy and balanced life. By recognizing the interdependent roles of mindset, nutrition, and movement I educate and hold my clients accountable for achieving their health goals through lifestyle and behavior adjustments with an emphasis on self-care. Together, we navigate the contradictory world of nutrition through intuitive eating, practice mindful movement, and implement small mindset and lifestyle shifts that empower them to be their best selves in the easiest way possible.
