Just because you’re not verbally stating excuses doesn’t mean you don’t have them. As a personal trainer, I see them in various forms, some verbal but most nonverbal. Let me explain. Here are 10 ways you (yes, YOU) may be avoiding progress:
10) When you say you can’t come to your personal training appointment because of XYZ reason, and then you check in at a bar on Facebook for evening cocktails, you may be avoiding progress. (Oh, and you might be Facebook friends with your personal trainer. Soooooo….)
9) When you keep having to set a new date as your Start/Get Serious date, you may be avoiding progress. Funny how January keeps recurring throughout the year.
8) When you tell your Coach that you can’t afford Shakeology right now, and then proceed to post a photo on Instagram of the 2 dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts you “bought for your kids” Saturday morning, you may be avoiding progress.
7) When you feel like you could probably lift your knees up off the ground for a full push-up, but figure it will be easier to do it knees down, you may be avoiding progress.
6) When you’ve committed to losing 20 pounds before your high school reunion, and still haven’t connected to the idea that you should actually lose the 20 pounds for your health instead of the reunion, you may be avoiding progress.
5) When you order the salad at lunch like a good girl, but then load it up with bacon, cheese, and Ranch, you may be avoiding progress.
4) When you arrive to a group fitness class 10 minutes late and miss the warm-up, and then leave 10 minutes early for an appointment, you may be avoiding progress.
3) When you purchase P90X, and you leave it siting on the kitchen table for a couple weeks before moving it to its future resting place on a shelf in the basement, you may be avoiding progress.
2) When you find yourself paying 2 gym memberships, joining Weight Watchers, buying a FitBit, and purchasing a home fitness program, you may be avoiding progress. You also may be a compulsive spender.
1) When you’re reading this blog post and find yourself combating every sentence I’ve written (“Pfff. Easy for HER to say.”), you may be avoiding progress.
My question to you… Why are you waiting? Why are you avoiding your potential? Is it that hard to make your personal training appointment? Or to stay for an entire group exercise class? To press Play on your new P90X program? Scratch that… to OPEN the box?
And the biggest question: Do you realize you’re even doing this?
I challenge you to embrace honesty in your life. Specifically, honesty with yourself. Check in with where you are, and be OK with it, but decide you’re going to stop putting up your own barriers to progress. Force yourself into moving forward by making the simple decisions like keeping your training appointments, replacing doughnuts and Starbucks with Shakeology, and skipping the Ranch on the salad. And, for crying out loud, stop trying the million ways you can reach your goal and actually do one of them.
Stop avoiding progress. You’re amazing, and you’re better than the excuses you’re giving yourself. It starts with small decisions and ends with… well, progress.