How many times do we hear stories about folks that were all gung ho to get in shape … for about 2 or 3 weeks. Then the motivation faded and boom … down they went in a cloud of dust. Why didn’t they stick with it? What happened?
One thing I absolutely LOVE about the P90X workouts (and the other Beachbody workouts for that matter), is the little progress meter along the bottom of the screen. Do you realize how valuable that thing is? Just think about it. Many times, I’ve already felt tired after only a few minutes of working out (especially if it’s an Insanity “warm-up” — yeah right!!), and if all I had to look at was the “45:00 left”, I’d get discouraged and feel like there is no way I can last that long. However, when I’m tired, I don’t look at the “45:00 left” (the overall goal). I focus on the “0:28 seconds left” for the exercise I’m doing. Like Tony says, I can do anything for 30 seconds. I’m not worried about what’s next … I’m only focused on finishing that 30 second interval.
The same is true with the 90 days of P90X (or 63 days of Insanity, etc.). The big goal (getting to Day 90) is the backdrop, and the overall motivation to strive for. However, there are days when it seems like Day 90 will never come. That’s where so many people give up. They get through 2 or 3 tough weeks, feel worn down, and cave in. They figure that another 2+ months is too daunting of a challenge to meet.
Instead of saying, “I’m on Day 5 (or 22, or 47, etc.) and I’m burned out”, choose to focus on the smaller goal. Don’t say on Day 5 “Can I get to Day 90?”. Instead, say, “Can I get through Day 5 with healthy eating choices and push play TODAY. To borrow Tony’s idea, I CAN DO ANYTHING FOR ONE DAY!! We can ALL eat healthy for 1 day and push play for 1 day. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Focus on today.
During my first round of P90X, there were days I felt great and spent time focusing on my progress toward the overall goal – DAY 90!! It felt great to see the progress I was making and to estimate how much more I could accomplish in those 90 days. However, there were also days where the big goal felt too far off, and the fatigue and burn-out were creeping in. On those days, I focused on the smaller goal – Push play TODAY and eat healthy TODAY! Nothing more. Each time, when I broke it down to the small, short-term goal, I rose to the occasion and got it done. Day 90 will come. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Never quit! The only people who don’t get to Day 90 are those who quit. If you tell yourself quitting isn’t an option, you’ll have no choice but to end up at Day 90 … and beyond!! Bring It!!
Need a coach?
My email: coachwayne@teamripped.com
IG: @wayne_wyatt
