Progress is never linear. Achieving results is hard even when it looks easy.
And the more we even oversell the negative and prepare for the setbacks and struggles, the easier it is ultimately to overcome the obstacles and keep going.
That’s why I want to share 10 sucky truths you need to own if you want to see better results faster.
1: Simple doesn’t mean easy.
Every time I post something about the fact that success is struggle or change is hard…
I get at least one comment of…
“No, it’s simple! Just do this!”
But that “simple” thing they say to do…
A. Isn’t easy for everyone.
B. Isn’t simple for everyone.
And C. Is it an oversimplification or not the habit someone else needs for results ultimately leading to others feeling like something is wrong with them because that isn’t easy for them to do…
Because what is “simple” boils down to us FINDING the change that meets us where we are at.
And it takes time to find that for some of us.
Not to mention…knowing isn’t doing.
And getting ourselves to DO the simple thing isn’t easy, especially if the simple thing is very different from what we’re doing now.
Instead we need to focus on not some ideal, not something “simple,” but instead something that seems so easy we could do it on our worst of worst days.
Focus on the smallest of small habit changes that meets you were you are at.
This isn’t sexy. But this is how results build!
2: The habit changes we need the most are the ones we fight against the hardest.
Think about how many habits you’re told to do that you immediately find reasons NOT to do.
And the later, when you’ve finally embraced the change you think…
“Why didn’t I do this sooner?!”
It’s because often those changes are far outside our comfort zone. And we simply don’t want to do them.
I see this all the time, especially when I tell people to increase protein or cut out cardio for fat loss…
They find all of the reasons why high protein isn’t good or cardio is essential.
We seek out reasons to validate our own desire not to act or make the uncomfortable change yet what we’re doing currently isn’t working.
This desire to find a reason NOT to do something should instead trigger us to know that this is EXACTLY the change we probably need to see a new and better result.
Instead of finding ways to reinforce what we don’t want to do, we need to assess WHY we’re pushing back against the changes so much.
We need to ask ourselves, “Why am I so resistant to taking this action?”
Then instead, we should research all the reasons WHY it would be good for us and break down the change to meet ourselves where we are at!
Often we can lower our defense against the change by taking action to build the habit that meets us where we are at and is closer to our comfort zone!
3: We stand in our own way.
It’s cliche but true – whether you believe you can or you can’t, you’re right.
We tell ourselves things aren’t possible.
We tell ourselves we don’t have the willpower or self control.
We doom ourselves with doubt.
We don’t commit 100% to a change and ignore our own deviations and inconsistencies, letting ourselves off the hook.
We CHOOSE not to make a hard choice and take action, keeping going when it would be so easy to quit.
We are ultimately the one in control of our own success and our own failure.
We are the only ones that can prove what is truly possible by taking a risk and taking action to try to move forward.
We are the only ones that can act.
But that means we need to stop telling ourselves no and limiting ourselves and instead say…
“Hey, let’s do this and see what is possible!”
4: Success is failure.
The most successful people have often also failed the most.
This is what makes them successful.
They learned from those experiences as often our mistakes are the ones that teach us lessons that really stick with us.
Now don’t get me wrong…It sucks to make a mistake. To feel bad at something. To feel like you look stupid even.
But those things we deem as failures are really just learning experiences with a side of frustration.
Those experiences are often the most essential to our success.
Because we don’t succeed despite failures…we succeed because of them…
That is as long as we choose to learn from them.
So don’t run from the discomfort of learning and making mistakes. Embrace this as opportunity.
Make sure that every time something happens that didn’t go as planned you pause to reflect.
Because often that reflection is what truly teaches us and moves us forward, helping us even achieve more than we thought possible.
5: Nothing works forever.
We are constantly changing whether we realize it or not. Nothing in life is ever standing still.
Our goal is to recognize this and evolve to meet ourselves where we are at to control the direction of that change.
Yet too often we get complacent with things and cling to habits and routines that now don’t fit what we need to move forward.
Instead we need to embrace that nothing works forever and what helped us even reach one goal may be holding us back from the next.
The more we are open to change and don’t get so married to a tool or tactic it becomes a part of our identity, the more we allow ourselves to always grow and move forward!
6: Effort doesn’t equal outcome.
Effort relates to how a habit or change feels. Not to the actual magnitude of the change and how much it is moving us forward.
Like we could be tracking what we’re eating and feel like we’re doing so much to lose weight because it feels like a challenge to track while not actually having changed our food portions at all.
So while something feels hard, it doesn’t always mean we’re doing enough or truly making a change to achieve a goal.
Not to mention so often we do overwhelm ourselves in how we make changes in our attempt to see results faster.
We do so much we kill our motivation quickly and then all of the habits feel like too much. So we give up when results aren’t happening fast enough.
We need to be aware of all of this and how our feelings of effort can sabotage us.
This is why sometimes LESS IS MORE!
We need to assess what is actually realistic for us right now and what changes even feel EASY to make and start there.
Because the more you do, the more you do. And as you make changes you’ll feel more motivated to add on over feeling overwhelmed and like you want to do less!
And don’t be afraid to even REASSESS what feels doable at different times.
Sometimes LIFE can make what did feel good feel like too much effort.
And the more we own this to back off and take ownership of what matches what we need now, the more we actually keep moving forward!
7: Someone always has it easier.
Yup. The thing is…that doesn’t matter.
But I won’t tell you not to compare. Comparison is in our nature.
We just have to recognize when the comparison isn’t serving us and isn’t relevant.
Or if we find ourselves comparing, see the opportunity in learning all we can from what that person did.
But ultimately we have to put the blinders on and stay focused on just what WE need.
Like a race horse. Put the blinders on and RUN. Because no one else has an impact on the time YOU run the race in. Just on their own.
Focus on meeting yourself where you are at to move forward.
What matters for your success is your current situation, the goal you want and the actions that will take you from point to point B.
8: There’s no one best thing.
Not only is there no one best thing out there…no one magic move or magic food…
But searching for a single habit or tactic that will fix everything is often what holds us back from realizing how everything in our lifestyle needs to work together.
Because results are built off of systems not habits in isolation.
And one size doesn’t fit all!
It’s built off the boring basics done daily and creating a plan we can be consistent with.
Your diet has to match your workouts and both have to work together with your recovery and schedule if you want to create something that allows you to put in the work and build.
Because what worked for your friend, may not work for your lifestyle. 6 days a week of workouts may be fabulous, but not if you can realistically do 3.
There is no perfect plan, just the perfect plan for us.
So stop searching for a new best thing…some ah-ha magical epiphany.
Instead focus on small tweaks you can make to make everything fit a little bit better together!
Go back to those basics even and search for 1% improvements you can make over something new!
9: You have to think outside the gym. Outside your plate.
Simply put, your mindset matters most.
We want to take action. We search for new things to do and want to know WHAT to do and so often try to skip the WHY.
I even get that comment on videos often, “Just tell me what to do.”
But this quest for just WHAT to do keeps us stuck, never really making changes that are lasting.
Heck it even causes us to make changes that are ultimately a ton of wasted effort because they weren’t really what we needed…they were just “best” for someone else.
Instead we need to take a step back and look not only at our mindsets and beliefs about things, but even take a look at our lifestyles as a whole.
We need to own our priorities and lifestyle because, if we don’t, these things so often become our excuse.
They make changes to our diet or workouts harder.
Not to mention they make us ignore other things that are important to us and other areas of our lifestyle that may need changes and adjustments like our sleep or recovery.
So don’t get caught up in only looking at the actions you can take to adjust your diet and workouts if you want lasting results.
10: Do it anyway.
Yup. Do it anyway.
When you hit something you don’t want to do…
That day you really don’t want to do what you should…
Do it anyway.
Because those days are the days that matter most.
And you’ll feel so good for conquering that hard.
Those days are what create success and discipline.
Those days are what build your strength and confidence.
So on those days you really don’t want to, think, “I’ll just do one minute.”
That’s often all you need to get started and do even more.
Just remember, there is a cost to every reward.
There isn’t success without sacrifice.
But if we embrace these sucky truths and own them, we’re setting ourselves up to acheive better results faster and navigate the ups and downs along the way!
Build your leanest, strongest body at ANY age…and if you need that PUSHY trainer and straight shooter to help…
