Forget the outcome and focus on the daily task. I started to achieve, as an athlete and fitness professional when I looked at what I needed to do each day to progress. At first this was a "to-do" list of exercises, minutes, and miles. A list of foods to eat, and foods to avoid. Guidelines. Slowly, over time, this became a "feeling" that I sought in my daily movement and nutrition. Now I was thinking of how to win each day by finding satisfaction in feeling positive about my actions. This change was slow, and not something I set as an outcome, but it was revolutionary. It's a mindset we utilize in other areas of our life, but often forget to apply to our fitness. Win each moment. Recognize, when you made a bad choice, and take note of it. Don't over dramatize it, but look at what led to that choice. Also, look at the impact of that choice. Sometimes the impact is small therefore you need not fret too much. Perspective.
Be present. Make cognizant purchasing decisions.
Know the purpose of the activity. During aerobic activity seek a feeling of flow. Look for those moments when it all clicks and you are locked into that positive state. When performing calisthenics or strength training recognize what each exercise requires, and work to maximize the effect of each movement.
Form follows function. The mode of fitness needs to be consistent with your desired outcome. Aesthetics differ from performance, greatly. The shape of your life should be based on your intended purpose.
Why. Stop here and really think about "why" you want to change. Make this a layered response. Meaning, start with you, add in your family, friends, and finally think of how you want the world to view you. Do not focus on the time if you haven't mastered the movement. Focus on the movements first, then increase the time your exercise or maximize the movements done in a specific time. Quality sticks. It progresses your forward. Quantity builds, but without quality, it promotes poor movement patterns and an outcome based, competitive focus. Their is a time for everything. Quality before quantity. Your thoughts are a pattern. Master the pattern of thinking and decision making for daily success and you'll achieve great things in your health and fitness.
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