How to have the best mindset for beginning your health and fitness journey!
Everyone will not obsess over fitness the way I do, and I think that is not only understandable but the NORM. As someone who never took fitness serious until my early 20’s I can understand how so many other life calling’s may take precedent FIRST!
My goal isn’t to turn everyone into fitness junkies overnight, but to demonstrate the ways you can easily apply it to YOUR particular lifestyle. When being active becomes less of a chore and more of a experience, you tend to stick things (This will be your Intrinsic Motivation)
Surprisingly, the following tenements have NOTHING to do with fitness but mean EVERYTHING to your health and wellness journey!
The Ability To Enjoy: Broaden your leisure activities and remove all barriers preventing your enjoyment.
Growing up we had so many beautiful talents and activities we enjoyed, what happened?!?! We lost focus on us and immersed ourselves in the “societal goal” i.e. homeownership, grad school, marriage, blah blah blah. Check this out, while those things are imperative to living a successful life, do those thing TRULY define you? I mean a house is nice but what will you do in it? Gardening is something that will keep you active, don’t just play Nintendo Wii but take a trip to your favorite comic/gaming convention, or trek through your favorite arts and crafts store to pick up supply to create your next personal masterpiece is a way to add enjoyment. Watching television, social media consumption, and watching the days pass you by will drain you. Get back to your PASSION!
The Ability to Choose: Pick options that fit your lifestyle that you can stick with.
Once again, this will boil down to our own individuality and being a tad bit selfish. As we mature and begin to handle the day to day stresses of managing life we tend to go with the pack. Although we must prevent that at all cost, our individual quirks tend to be what makes life and connections so meaningful. I began to notice that the majority of my friends were into watching sports, while I was into art, theatre, and nature. By not boxing yourself into a particular lifestyle that doesn’t fit you, you become more confident and satisfied within life. At one point in time I became a spin instructor, I realized that while it could’ve been a great way to make some extra money I DESPISED the act of taking spin so it never stuck.
The Ability to Keep Developing: Maslow’s law describes some of the following growth needs…
Having your essential needs of esteem, love/belonging, safety, physiological health, self-actualization, cognitive, and more can help set the stage for reaching your fitness goals. If you are having a difficult time affording to keep gas in your car, how can you afford a Trainer let alone a gym membership at times? Developing a plan to get yourself to that level will help you focus more on your long term fitness goals. If you do not feel safe in the world or your environment, fitness will be the last thing on your mind. As you’ll notice there is a pattern here where there are almost always smaller boxes/details that need to be met prior to embarking on your fitness journey. If our foundation is shaky, that will vibrate throughout our other goals and processes. To view life as a constant learning process and being hungry to learn more about yourself/the world, you will then begin to feel more confident in each new endeavor.
Takeaway Tips!
If you like dancing, take pole dancing or ballet classes to incorporate fitness
If you work in real estate, take pride and enjoyment in the tours of the properties it is you manage
If fashion is your thing and weight loss is an objective, set a challenge to yourself to get one of your favorite designers once you’ve reached a certain size!