Desire is What Gets You Started, But Habit is What Keeps You Going

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

We are kicking off March, and it may be no surprise … many who had set the goal to ‘get fit’ in 2020 have fallen off course – and some never even began to course.

Up to 70% have already given up on the New Year’s resolution and are back to their unhealthy habits that they were determined to change, when the clock struck midnight Jan. 1st, 2020.

Whether you’ve been full on since January 1st with a new habit, or today is your day 1, we have put together some quick tips to help you form HABITS that can stick.

But first, let’s take a look and dive into why so many fall off so quickly with their resolution to stay fit…

It’s not a matter of desire, we’d be hard pressed to find anyone on the planet who didn’t wish for being healthy and living a happy life.

But many fail in this quest because they do not set themselves up for success in the following areas:

// accountability

// support

// goal planning with action steps

// habit formation

#1) ACCOUNTABILITY

First, with accountability. You can secretly set that desire out there into the universe about wanting to get fit, but unless you share that goal with someone, write it down, and hold yourself to it, there’s nothing stopping you from letting it slip by. No one calling you out, not even yourself.

If you set a goal for yourself, SHARE it. Just the simple act of writing it down makes you seven times more likely to achieve it.

#2) SUPPORT

Next, let’s look at support. If your goal was to get fit, but you are surrounded by people who do not share the same desires to lead a healthy lifestyle, how can you expect yourself to break the mold and go at it alone?

If you are looking to get healthier, find a tribe that shares that common goal and soak in all the positivity and support you can get from them. Don’t go it alone. You are much more likely to achieve success if you align yourself with a support system.

Find tribes to surround yourself with, where the person you know you deserve to be, is the norm behaviour of the group.

#3) GOAL PLANNING & ACTION STEPS

Goal planning and action steps can be the true breakthrough you need to achieve success. Have you set a realistic goal for yourself? Does it also stretch you a bit out of your comfort zone? What kind of action steps are you going to hold yourself accountable to each and every day, week, and month to ensure that you are on track to hit your year end goal.

A goal with no action steps is a wish that will slowly fade away.

#4) HABITS

Rounding out the list and most critical is your HABITS. Unless you are truly changing your habits and crowding out the negative ones that got you to where you are today, then you will not be able to get yourself out of your current situation.

Take a look at how you choose to spend every minute of your day. Each decision you make is a vote for the kind of life you desire to live.

If you want to take better care of yourself and yet claim not to have time, but also somehow manage to be totally up to date with the Bachelor and every Instagram post that’s ever been posted, then perhaps you need to reconsider how you are spending your time.

Building in a daily habit of self care may be a slow process, but it’s something you need to START one day at a time. It may be as slow as setting your alarm, waking up, chugging a glass of water first thing and doing some light stretching for a week or two.

Make SHOWING up your first habit to begin with. It doesn’t matter the duration or intensity of the workout – JUST SHOW UP until that habit sticks.

Showing up for 5 minutes a day, for 3 weeks in a row, FAR beats showing up for an hour per day in week one, burning out and then never returning.

After you are in the habit of showing up to exercise, then slowly start building up to adding in more and more. But you’ll never reach your goals, if you are not in the habit of “starting” each day. You have to start.

Building healthy habits into your daily routine make them second nature, so then down the road it’s a true no-brainer that you should be taking care of yourself. Working out is just what you do and what’s part of daily life, and not something you have to sit there and contemplate. Even when you “don’t feel like it”, you get over it and show up, because it’s a HABIT you simply can’t live without.

If you are reading this today and have not done something just for you, at least once a day in the form of self care or exercise, it’s time to reexamine your accountability, support, goal planning action steps, and your habits.

You can train your body and mind into creating the healthier life you deserve if you work hard to build in the habit of self care.

Your mission???

Sit down and write down 1 goal you’d like to hit by the end of March. Below the goal, write down three action steps you have to take each week to get you to the goal.

Really want to hit that goal?

SHARE your goal and action steps with one person today. Not sure who to share it with? Share it with US. We are here for you and want to help you hit your goals.

In health,

Rachele & Maria