There are two distinctly different approaches to losing the fat and getting
into amazing shape. One of these approaches works. (Every. Single. Time.)
And the other approach fails. (Every. Single. Time.)
I call these the Fitness Short Game and the Fitness Long Game. Let’s find
out which game you’re playing…
Fitness Short Game: Those who choose to play short are looking for
the quick fix. They are looking for the program that will give them dramatic
fat loss results in the shortest amount of time. They want results, they
want it NOW, and they don’t play to stick with it. This is the instant
gratification crowd.
Fitness Long Game: Those who choose to play long are focusing on
making lifestyle changes to sustain for the long haul. They are working on
steadily adapting healthier habits and putting in the time and effort to
maintain these improvements. They are patient and focused on their end goal,
knowing full well that gratification will be delayed, and results will be
permanent.
Which of these two strategies to you think leads to pounds lost and muscles
sculpted? There’s no question that playing the fitness long game is the only
way to successfully transform your health and your body.
Let’s take a closer look at what it means to play the Fitness Long Game…
1) Create a Long Term Vision
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step…and also with a
selected destination. The first step in playing the fitness long game is to
have a clear picture in your mind of what the success you are striving for
looks like.
What will you look like when you’ve hit your fitness stride? How often will
you exercise each week to maintain your fab new body? What foods will you
eat to support your muscles and aid your fat loss? How many hours each night
will you sleep? Who will you spend your time with?
The clearer your vision, the steadier your path, and the more likely your
chance to succeed.
2) Learn to Delay Gratification
As you read above, no one attains a hot body through quick, miracle fixes.
This means that as you strive towards your goal you will need to practice
the art of delayed gratification.
This is not to say that there won’t be victories along the way, to fuel your
fire and give you a boost of motivation. Pay attention to every little
victory, such as every single pound lost, each size down, and compliments
from friends and family. Learn to derive gratification from each inch of
progress towards your goal.
Imagine how sweetly gratifying it will be to achieve your long term vision
and lean into this feeling when the going gets tough.
3) Fall in Love with the Process
Why is it that you aren’t in tiptop shape right now? Because you’ve fallen
in love with the process of being out-of-shape. You’ve fallen in love with
the hours on your couch, the comfort food, the late night desserts and the
extra hours of sleep in the morning.
Playing the fitness long game means falling in love with the process of
getting fit. You must fall in love with the early morning wake up, the
muscle pain, the sweaty clothes and the clean foods. Remember, this process
is part of your long term vision for your fit life, and so accepting the new
habits now, rather than later, will get you to your goals faster.
Won’t getting and staying in shape be that much easier if you LOVED the
habits and actions necessary for your success?
4) Take Notice of All Progress
On week 2 of a 12-week challenge you will not wake up looking like a fitness
competitor. You’ll wake up sore, tired, and probably hungry. The scale will
tell you that you’ve lost a modest number of pounds, and you’ll mentally
calculate the percentage left to lose. You’ve barely scratched the surface.
I’ll bet if you tried you could find half a dozen signs of your early
progress. Sure, these may be undetectable to everyone else, but it’s your
body so you can feel the change before anyone else can see it. Take the time
to stop and congratulate yourself on every inch of progress in your journey.
No step is too small to celebrate.
5) Focus Less on What You Want and More on Who You Want to Become
What you want is to look a certain way, to feel a certain way, and to have
others look at you in a certain way. It’s easy to imagine what you want.
However, it’s who you become that dictates what you get.
Spend time focusing on the kind of person who achieves the things that you
want to achieve. What are their daily habits? What do they do differently
than you do? What can you learn from them? By focusing on the kind of person
that you need to become, you will automatically achieve the success that you
want.
Transform your daily habits to those of the person who has achieved the
things you wish to achieve.
Are you ready to transform your body once and for all by playing the fitness
long game? Call or email me now to get started!