The Insanity of Fitness Failure
Proverbs 26:11- As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.
The journey of health and fitness seems like it should be easy, but for many of us we don’t have to look much farther than the mirror and reflect on our own past failed attempts and current struggles to understand that it’s much harder than the mind would suggest that it should be. Why is this? When I first began my own fitness walk I experienced the same thing. “Eat healthy and be active,” I said to myself. What I didn’t understand was that information was only a small piece of what I was missing. I could not see the bigger picture. If you are looking to change your life through fitness and you think you just need to find the right exercise or diet program then you are just like I was. This is unfortunate because that means you are on a track of continued failure, but it also means that since there was hope for me then there is hope for you. It is often quoted that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Such an insanity often exists as we make a decision to get fit and healthy. Wouldn’t you say that if I know that something is bad for me and I consciously do it that that is insane? What about if I know that something is good for me and I consciously avoid it? Not exactly sanity, right? Fortunately for the person to whom this looks all too familiar there is a solution, and I will share with you the first 3 steps to overcoming the insanity.
The first step to escaping the realm of the irrational is to approach the situation with absolute honesty. Where a lot of coaches and personal trainers get this wrong is they often expose the people they are supposed to be helping to a type of honesty that generates feelings of guilt and shame. That is not helpful. A person cannot be his/her best self while operating in that state. Honesty does not have to be brutal, it just needs to be the truth. That being said, we must fully expose and accept our past short-comings and take responsibility. At this step we must be 100 percent sure that what we have been doing is problematic and it must change in order to be better. A coach cannot convince you of this. You must know in your heart of hearts that your past is unacceptable so you will not accept it as your future.
Now that we have been honest it’s time to take the next step. We must now demonstrate faith. It is a mistake to expect change to occur if we do not believe that change is possible. Faith is what unshackles us. When we display faith we are able to take the next required steps with confidence knowing that if we stick with it we will be successful. So where can a person find faith? I would look to any entity outside of yourself that you trust. You may ask “why not find faith in myself?” The answer is simple. At this stage you don’t trust yourself. Self is the one who has been lying to you every time you say “I’m going to the gym today” and you don’t do it. Or “I’m cutting out junk food,” only to say “just one last time.” You can not trust yourself until you start making it a priority to keep the promises that you make to yourself. What if your closest friends lied to you as much as you lie to yourself? Would you be as close? It’s unlikely. So find an authority that you trust to guide you and keep you on track, and exercise that faith. A coach or trainer who is not trustworthy cannot be effective.
Now here’s where the rubber meets the road. Armed with honesty and trust only one more thing is needed. That thing is willingness. It is at this juncture where I had to decide that being uncomfortable was okay and that it might even be necessary. As it pertains to my fitness journey I had to show that I wanted the outcome and I was ready for action. Willingness sounds so simple but it’s one of the most difficult parts for most of us. The problem with getting over this last hump is that if a person is not truly willing to do what is necessary then that means that they don’t fully believe that it IS necessary. What that means is that the honesty and/or faith is incomplete. You will know you are willing when your questions are not “if” you should take an action but “how” you should take the action, and your trusted guides will provide the solutions.
These are the first steps to overcoming the insanity that keeps many of us stuck in our fitness pursuits as well as other endeavors. A coach can be invaluable during this process. A good coach will be honest with you while keeping you honest. He/she can help identify the problems and provide appropriate solutions. A coach should be someone you trust. Your health is everything and a good coach can completely change your life, but if the trust is not there the results won’t be either. And finally, when you are ready and willing and your last question is “how will I do this?” your coach is there to provide the necessary guidance. All you have to do at that point is take action, and if you have the faith you will do just that. Be great.
- Chris