Sticking To It

by Kris Pitcher

What are your values around health?

I met a delightful lady this week who said if she can stick to anything for three days it's a miracle! Someone else said something very similar in the context of health care and wouldn't it be smart if a wellness coach was part of your health care team to keep you on track. Well yes it would! Hello!

These are conversations I have with people all the time- it's not easy to stick with something...anything. And the minute you get off track just a little bit, it's really difficult to find your way back. People who are good at things practice. That goes for your health and fitness too. And you don't have to be perfect, this isn't an all or none deal. It's not like if you messed up this morning and hit the snooze twelve times and didn't make it to the treadmill it's the end of the world. Maybe you needed your sleep.

What you can do is get right back in there and practice. It all comes back to why it's important to you...remember the talk we had about that? When you connect your health and fitness to your values...it becomes pretty clear why it's important. And if something is important to you you'll do it. That is the key to sticking to it.

It isn't any easier for me either, just to let you in on a secret. I'm on a focused eating plan, because I want to make some body composition changes. But sometimes I struggle, I look at the carby goodies in the work room and remind myself, sternly, those are not for me. Then I have visions of rubbing carrot cake all over my face...which would be CRAZY! And I walk away smiling as I think about the people who will eat that cake and how they might as well be rubbing it on their thighs since that's where it will end up. Is something wrong with me? 


Practice what's important to you, this is the key to sticking to any program. The reality is you need to be able to adapt changes in habits that you can live with. You only have to stick to it as long as you want it to work. Stay connected to your values each and every day...it makes the journey a little easier.