How to Shift From Knowing What to Do, To Actually DOING It
How to Bridge the Gap Between KNOWING What to Do... and Actually DOING It
Hi, beautiful!
Happy Tuesday. I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. :)
We can all agree that there's a difference between knowing and doing, right?
For example...
You know what workouts to do to get you the best results (a mix of cardio and strength training like my 12-Week Strong & Sexy Bikini Body Program), yet you hop from program to program - never really finishing a full program and always looking for the 'next best thing.'
And, if I put a gun to your head #dramatic and put a cheeseburger and a salad in front of you, and told you to choose the healthier option... you could, right?
So you know what to do, but you just don't do it.
Join the club of human nature.
No judgment here. Obviously expecting yourself to be perfect in all areas, at all times is setting yourself up for failure.
But I myself am also guilty of knowing what to do, but not doing it all the time.
I KNOW eating 17 handfuls of Mark's yogurt-covered raisins isn't going to help me see my abs, but sometimes I'm hungry and tired and bored and I find my hand at the bottom of the bag.
I KNOW strength training and getting my booty to the gym is going to get me amazing results in my body, but sometimes I feel lazy so ehh, rather not.
But if you want to see real results - not just in your body, but in the quality of your life - you're going to have to change from just knowing what to do, but to actually DOING the things you know you should be doing.
Easier said than done, I get it - but here are some tactical tips you can start implementing TODAY to help you bridge the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it:
1. Figure out your WHY.
First of all, why is it important to you to eat well, train hard, etc.? If you don't know why you're doing it, or don't have a good enough reason why (like you're doing it because you feel like you 'should' be in better shape for people to accept you/love you/validate you)... then the second something comes up that throws off your schedule, you won't do what you know is right. For example, you'll have a stressful day at work, blank out, forget your goals and all you'll want to do is eat all. the. food.
Here's my personal "why" to give you some inspiration. This helps me get to the gym when I'd rather lay on my lazy behind, it helps me put down the yogurt-covered raisins after one handful instead of eating the whole bag, and just overall become a happier person.
MY WHY: I train because it makes me feel strong, sexy, and empowered. I train because it's an outlet to relieve my stress after a tough day, and because I always feel 100x better leaving the gym than I do going in. I eat well to support my training and get the most out of my workouts. I eat whole, nourishing foods that fuel my body and help me feel vibrant, energized, healthy and alive.
^ That's just an example. I recommend writing out your own personal mission statement, because then when you're tempted to skip the gym/eat in a way that doesn't make you feel great, you can ask yourself, "Is this choice in line with my 'WHY?'" :)
2. Become self aware.
Self awareness is EVERYTHING. If you can train yourself to take three seconds, close your eyes, and take a deep breath BEFORE you dig into *said thing you know is not best for you*, that can make all the difference between success and failure.
Try this: Next time you feel tempted to open a bag of chips (or eat a bag of raisins), take a deep breath, remind yourself of your WHY. If you still decide you want to move forward with your decision, go for it! I'm all about balance, and as long as you're indulging with awareness and conscious choice, do your thang sista. This is about eliminating the mindless snacking and things we do to self-sabotage on the reg.
3. Educate yourself.
When you educate yourself on the proper training and nutrition techniques that will actually get results, you're much more likely to trust the process and stick with it. Hiring a coach is a great way to leave the guesswork up to someone else - just make sure your philosophies on training and nutrition are in line with theirs. And if you need a coach who believes in balance, mindset, training and nutrition - aka the total package of what it takes to be successful - holla at yo girl :)
4. Take responsibility for your actions.
At the end of the day, you have to take responsibility and be accountable for the choices you make. Don't play the victim - if you're stuck and frustrated because you're not seeing results in ANY area of your life, take a good, hard, honest look at your habits. Chances are you know the areas you can improve, now it's just a matter of taking responsibility and making the effort to change in ways you know would drastically improve your life.
---
We're all in this together.
You are my teacher, too.
I'm so proud of you and the progress you are making, in your body and your life.
Now let's KNOW what to do... and better yet, DO THE DAMN THANG.
Sending you all my love this week!
xo
Julie