The odds of reaching your goal just went up significantly. Research shows if you started pursuing a goal on January 1st your chance of reaching the finish line was just 8%. If you are still going today your chance of finishing successfully just shot up to 40%.
What can you do to make certain you’re part of the 40%?
My friend Steve unlocked the answer to that question a couple years ago. He weighed well over 400 pounds. He had tried to lose weight several times with no lasting success. Then something happened. He had an embarrassing moment caused by his weight. He set a new goal, but didn’t want to fail again.
So, he changed his approach. And, it was brilliant. Steve set a start date and spent about a month preparing himself for the big changes ahead.
For example, Steve loved fast food…especially McDonalds. He took advantage of every opportunity to grab a meal there. His new meal plan would eliminate those opportunities. But, Steve was smart to realize it wouldn’t be that easy. Oh, sure…McDonalds might not have been a temptation the first week of his weight loss journey when his “new goal emotions” were strong enough, but what about two months later?
What would happen when Steve was really hungry and driving by a McDonald’s then? Would he convince himself that one little fast food meal won’t hurt?
Steve set a start date for his goal and practiced all these scenarios in his mind. He knew the exhilaration of his new goal would not sustain him very long. He knew there would come a day when his co-workers were all heading out to get fast food and invite him to go. He knew he would be hungry and want to go. But, he prepared in advance how he would handle that situation.
Steve wanted this goal to be successful. He knew that a cheat day, or a cheat meal, or even a cheat BITE could mess him up so he took time before he started to get his mind ready for what was ahead.
If you started The 30 Day New Year Fitness Challenge on January 1st, you’ve already lasted beyond the point when many people pursuing a fitness goal have stopped. But, even 60% of those who make it this far still fail.
Have you thought through possible situations that could throw you off course during the next 12 days? When they happen what will be your response? How will you keep moving forward and not set your goal aside?
Answering those questions will set you up to be part of the 40% who reach the finish line!
WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY
Thankfully, it’s never too late to begin a new fitness journey. You don’t have to wait until the new year. If you don’t have a daily step goal, I want to challenge you to give it a try and create a fitness habit. I call it The 30 Day Fitness Challenge. This free guide will walk you through how to get started. It’s very easy.
If you don’t have a Fitbit I recommend the Fitbit Inspire HR. This is the Fitbit I use to track my 20,000 steps a day. The Inspire HR also tracks your heart rate and sleep so you get an even wider picture of your fitness progress.
(By the way…if you use the links in this article to make a purchase this blog will receive a small commission. It won’t add anything to what you pay, but letting you know is the right thing to do)
This blog is designed to help you embrace walking as a fitness activity. It’s sustainable, flexible, effective, and fun. Every week I post new articles with stories and helpful suggestions to Win at Fitness.
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