Goal Getta'

When we say the words "I CAN'T", what responses does our brain come up with?

• I CAN’T have the body I desire = You will never achieve this, so why try?!
• I CAN’T eat that = Fuck it, I am a grown ass adult and I can eat whatever the hell I want! (Cue the pizza, fries and chocolate)
• I CAN’T run a mile = You are going to fail, might as well quit before you even start!
• I CAN’T meal prep = Eating out is more   It's not important to me, my health or my goals.

When we are in a constant state of saying "I can't", we miss out on opportunities before they even present themselves.  We put ourselves down before we even give ourselves permission to TRY, which is one of the most common mistakes I see amongst my clients.  You become what you believe.  Expectations without belief will leave you in a standstill, feeling frustrated, inadequate and defeated.  To succeed we must first believe that we can with a strong confidence! 

Once we recognize that we must believe in ourselves to get where we want to go, then it's is time to set some goals.  Goals should always be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound (S.M.A.R.T.).  If we don't set parameters around our goals, how do we know what we are working towards? Or better yet, how do we know if we are successful?  Health goals can typically be measured, and most individuals have very specific ideals regarding their personal health.  The key is to make them achievable and to attribute a time or date you would like to reach your goal by.  Health goals don't always have to be focused around the scale, and I strongly suggest that if missing that type of goal puts you in a bad mood or sends you into a downward spiral, it shouldn’t be on your goal list. If you approach your health with the right perspective, losing weight will be a pleasant side-effect.

When people say they want to be "toned," "leaner" or "confident", how can these things be measured?  Those words mean different things to everyone.  If you have no idea what your goal really means to you and it lacks solid definition, you will quickly find yourself on a road with no destination, feeling lost and defeated.  When taking a S.M.A.R.T. goals approach, "toned" cannot be reliably measured, but how many pushups or pull ups you do can be.  “Leaner” is not specific, but body fat percentage, inches in different parts of the body are. We are our own worst critics, which means if we cannot recognize our results and how far we have come, we are likely to veer off track, lose sight of what we set out for and lose confidence. 

When we say the words “I CAN”, what responses does our brain come up with?

• I CAN have the body I desire = Damn right I can.  If x, y, and z person can do it, I can too.  I am a badass.
• I CAN eat that, I'm just choosing not to = Short term satisfaction does not meet my long-term happiness.
• I CAN run a mile = It's going to be challenging, but I know if I put in the work I can do
• I CAN meal prep = It is a priority for me, my health and my goals.

Work on your mindset, set S.M.A.R.T. goals, plan your timeline and take consistent action towards those goals every single day.  The only thing standing in the way of being your best self is you.  

XO- Stef