Progress not perfection
How would you define perfection?
I’d say this is pretty accurate…
“When something or someone has improved to a point at which it/they are deemed faultless.”
What a load of crock hey! I mean it sounds wonderful but perfection doesn’t really exist does it? I’m certain you can get pretty damn close to it at times however in reality life is a bumpy old road that will test your willpower, belief and determination on a daily basis.
You will (without a doubt) experience moments of success as well as failure in your life (which is absolutely fine by the way as it’s an integral part of the learning process). These outcomes are mostly as a consequence of you making a decision (whether it be good or bad) and seeing how it works out. Will it be perfect? Probably not. Should you be striving for better each and every day? Of course you should!
Now let me relate this more specifically to a fitness/healthy lifestyle journey you may be on.
You’ve decided it’s time to implement change so you make a conscious effort to change your lifestyle for the better (the hardest part is always getting started so kudos to you!). You now have a plan, you’ve set your goals and the start of the journey is glorious! You’re winning! Dropping weight, getting stronger and moving closer towards the goals you’ve set yourself… success!!
Then come the bumps in the road…
Works stressful, social events interfere with your diet, family commitments eat into your free time and injuries seemingly take hold. As a consequence you start comfort eating to make yourself feel better, you avoid the gym sessions before and after work because you feel too tired and that positive mindset you’ve been in starts to unravel pretty quickly.
It’s all doom and gloom, right? WRONG!
Just take stock of the situation for a second, push the irrational thinking to one side, start thinking with a clearer head and view your current circumstance from a more logical perspective. I can assure you that one mistake won’t stop you from achieving your goals; in fact a handful of mistakes will not impact on the progress you’re making in the long run. You just need to regain control of the situation and stop making excuses!
Firstly you need to get yourself back into the gym; exercise will in fact help you feel good about yourself and will return those energy levels back to where they should be. The next step is to familiarise yourself with the calorie-controlled plan that was given to you at the beginning (and yes you do need to stick to it in order for it to be effective). Take responsibility for your actions and make the right lifestyle choices consistently, stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back to doing all the things that had you progressing in the first place.
Becoming content, happy and successful isn’t about searching for perfection nor is it about avoiding mistakes (because they will happen). Instead, it is about trying your utmost to find improvements in yourself each and every day. It’s about embracing and celebrating the victories (no matter how big or small) whilst holding yourself accountable and learning from any mistakes you make along the way.
Work hard, be resilient and stay consistent in everything you do. This certainly won’t make you perfect but it will give you the opportunity to become a better version of yourself every day.
Is this blog I’ve written perfect? Certainly not. Will I strive to improve the way in which I deliver these important messages to you wonderful people? Of course I will.