Have you ever been gung ho on a great exercise plan, lifestyle or even a habit change and all of a sudden an unforeseen crisis in life like an accident or a promotion comes up. Everything you have built around you falls down and crumbles like a pack of cards. Well you are not alone – lots of us have faced this situation and it happens to me quite often. Of course, these things happen to all of us and eventually Life does come in the way.
Unfortunately we tend to give up on our goals when we face situations like this in our life. However, it does not necessarily mean that we need to give up completely. With a smart and a planned approach one can get back into the rhythm in no time. Things happen to all of us and it is our ingenuity as to how we can work around the obstacles or through them. Some of the things which I feel can help you get back on track are
Anticipate:
Think ahead and plan for the corner very much in advance. When you are prepared for any eventuality which you tend to foresee then one can have a couple of solutions up your sleeve. When one is committed to an exercise habit and knows the benefits of the same he/she should also see the things which might derail it. Say for example a family/friends get together is planned for the weekend then it is prudent to plan accordingly and make arrangements to burn the extra calories or definitely ensure that you do stick on to your weekend schedule in the gym. Reason is that sometimes one slip up is what it takes to slide downhill.For example when i do know that there is a marriage or get together coming up i need to attend, then i include that meal as my cheat meal(i have one cheat meal for a week) and just don’t mind eating not right for that particular time.
Find the path:
When you face obstacles in life what do you generally do? Most of us walk around it or under it as per the circumstances. The same logic holds good especially when you come face to face with an obstacle which might derail your habit or game plan. Sometimes there is more than one path. Step out of yourself and figure out a new path. If it does not work, chart out a new route map but ensure you keep going. Life is mostly an experiment to most of us. So it does makes sense to enjoy each moment of it.
Two steps forward and one step back:
You are bound to face setbacks eventually in your journey towards a goal or a habit formation. Do not feel dejected but figure out a way to move forward and keep at it just like another day. Instead of seeing the setback as something discouraging, accept it as a part of the journey. The logic which I always work on is “always take two steps forward towards your goal and one step backwards and eventually you will always be one step closer to your objective. This helps me to move on irrespective of the set back I come across if any.
If you fall get up and learn from it:
In life most of us fail but the one who truly succeeds is the one who does not stay down when ever he/she falls but learns from it and comes out a winner. So failing is not the end in any endeavour but not trying again is the biggest trap most people fall into.
Find New Motivation:
Sometime failure derails you so badly that to begin all over again overwhelms you. The best solution is to always look at what might motivate you and work your way through it. Joining a group of likeminded people or even liking my face book page and sharing your frustration might help because you are bound to find support and tips on how to get over this. Even stepping back a little and looking at what would the feeling be once you achieve the goal makes one to begin with new vigour. I always tend to see a vision of myself in the future when things are not going the way I want.
Go with the flow:
Be flexible and do not be rigid with what Life does throw at you. Change is always good and it does make one a better person no matter how bitter the learning is. Embrace change and go with the flow. If we are too rigid then it might break with the pressure of Life. If we learn to accommodate changes that life throws at us, and still head towards our goal, we’ll be happier and get to where we want to be eventually. Be willing to be flexible. Change comes at you … don’t despair, or get frustrated … take that change and make it a part of your plan.
Life does throw us surprises at times and eventually it is our attitude which makes all the difference.
I do hope you did find this article inspiring and eventually makes you get back to a positive habit or even better start a positive empowering habit. I would be happy to hear from you if this article lights a spark in you which will eventually grow into a roaring fire. Do share your feedback on my mail coach@satishrao.in or on my face book Fan page www.facebook.com/B.N.Satishrao.