Perseverance: Staying the Course

Now that we are a couple of months into the new year, are you keeping up with your goals? Are you working out, eating healthier, drinking more water? Keeping up the motivation can be challenging at this stage when you feel like you aren’t seeing the progress that you were hoping for. How do you keep going?

Expectations

Before we move on, check in with your expectations. Are you being realistic with your goals? Did you start the year trying to make too many changes at once? This has caused me to trip up so many times. Instead of trying to do ALL the things, I refine my focus.

Try some of these things and use what works best for you!

1. Set smaller goals. Refine your goals and focus. Instead of trying to do ALL the things, create bite sized goals. Want to lose weight? Focus on your nutrition. Want to exercise more? Start with a couple of active days a week.
2. Scale is not moving. <– This is where I am at. I’m eating better and exercising a whole lot more but the scale isn’t moving. Your weight may not be changing but your body IS changing. How do your clothes fit? Take before pictures and your measurements. You may be surprised at what you see.
3. Give yourself grace. Some days are hard. Don’t throw your hard work away after a rough day. Give yourself grace for the day. Tomorrow is a new day. Wake up and start anew.
4. Celebrate the daily wins. Did you get up and complete a workout? Can you now do a full push-up? Are you using less modifications? These are all wins! Celebrate these accomplishments and choose not to focus on what you are improving on.

The Challenge

What I listed above is not always easy. Merriam-Webster defines perseverance as the “continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition; the action or condition or an instance of perservering” (2021). We want to see changes but we have to keep going. It’s not going to be easy. The challenge is going to make us better. Our continued growth and development is what makes us human.

Every day, I get up and debate about when to workout. Sometimes I am playing on my phone for a good hour before I finally get up. But, I get up, put on those workout clothes and get it done. Why? Because I have learned that when I exercise, it helps me feel better. I am ready to take on my world (my COVID bubble). My mental health is more stable, I eat better, and because I wore myself out, I drink more water. Instead of trying to focus on all the things, they are beginning to happen naturally. My perseverance, the repetition, is paying off for me.

My Struggles

After years of struggling, this mommy bear is finally getting her act together. I am finally getting where I want to be. After all, this is my year of health. I am committed to the long term and have realized that I need to embrace the challenges as that will help me get to where I want to be. With the help of those that I have in my corner, I will persevere, keep my expectations in check, and celebrate my wins. Who’s with me? Share your wins so I can celebrate with you. We got this!