Friday, January 18, 2013

Reach your goals by not reaching

What do you train when you go to the gym?  Are you there for chest and back day?  Are you looking to build strength?  Tone up "problem areas?"  Get your cardio in?

Let's take a step back and remember what the point of "working out" really is, or should be.

When it comes down to it I believe people spend their time training for a fundamental reason - they want to feel better.  They want to lose weight = feel better about themselves.  They want to tone or build muscle = feel better about themselves.  They want to not hurt = feel better.

This is where we need to elicit change.  If our focus is " I want to be different" we will be setting ourselves up for unhappiness.  Not to get all Buddhist on you, but remember it's the want or craving for things that creates suffering; that means wanting to avoid the unpleasant as much as it means moving towards the things we desire.  Acceptance of where we are in this moment frees us to take wise action and move towards our goals WITHOUT the constant struggle.  Acceptance is NOT the same as resignation.  Just because you choose to be ok with your current state does not mean you are less committed to eliciting change or movement toward your goals.

Steps to consider for success in your training:

1.  Reflect on where you are and accept it (don't beat yourself up for being ________), this is where you are and it is OK.

2.  Make a plan to move toward your goal (this is where a good coach can help ;-) )

3. Trust the plan and enjoy the ride.

When you disconnect your happiness from your final destination (weight loss, strength, pain, or function goals) amazingly it becomes easier to stick to your plan and reach your goals. AND you may even find yourself ENJOYING the processes.