Do you ever feel like you just keep tripping yourself up and can’t get out of your own way?
Like you’ll have periods of time where you’re dialed in, super consistent, and then … BAM, you sabotage yourself out of nowhere.
And if you’re anything like me, it gets to the point where you’ve done it so many times that when you start all over again, you’re just kind of counting down the days until it happens again.
Can you relate?
I’m guessing you can because at the root of what prevents most people from reaching their goals is … well … themselves.
It’s rarely ever tactical.
I can count on one hand the amount of times that the difference maker was a macro adjustment.
99% of the time it’s about you vs. you.
You want something. And yet you are the one that keeps tripping yourself up and preventing yourself from getting it.
Not because you’re a bad person. Not because there’s something wrong with you.
Quite the contrary … it’s because you’re a human being.
In most cases, we know exactly what we need to do to get the results we desire.
Information is abundant and easily accessible.
If I walked around town and asked any random person some basic nutrition and fitness questions, I bet most of them would know the answer.
Should you eat veggies?
Is it beneficial to your health to walk more and be more active?
Is it a good idea to exercise on a regular basis?
Does it make sense to starve yourself regularly?
Is sleep a good thing or should we keep ourselves up all night?
Should I try to overload myself with stress that I can’t recover from?
Do you think eating protein is helpful or should you avoid it?
Maybe that last question would give the average person some trouble.
But anyone that has ever spent any time reading up on nutrition knows the answer.
The point is … we know what to do.
Most of the time, you keep tripping yourself up because of a lack of execution, not a lack of information.
Even though there’s a bunch of conflicting information out there, I still don’t think that’s the issue.
Sure, keto fanatics might argue with high-carb promoters but at the end of the day … both sides can agree that quality, whole foods are a good idea.
Very rarely does anyone attack the basics like walking, lifting, managing stress, sleeping, drinking water, eating protein and veggies, connecting with loved ones, etc.
And it’s the basics that get you like 95% of the way there.
So it’s not an information thing.
It’s an execution thing.
And we are the often the biggest roadblock in our own ability to execute.
No, it’s not your kids. It’s not your busy schedule, your age, or your hormones. It’s not time, money, or anything else that you’re thinking of right now.
It’s you.
That simple truth should be a relief because it means you’re in the driver’s seat.
We have examples of people with more kids than you, a busier schedule than you, less time than you, less resources than you … who have figured it out and made it work.
All of those excuses are completely valid.
Of course they can make things a little more challenging.
But they are simply yield signs not stop signs.
Our brains prefer predictable patterns over change.
Sometimes it’s easier to keep those excuses in tact because it allows for external justification as to why you haven’t reached your goals yet.
“I’d be leaner and more comfortable in my clothes if it weren’t for my busy schedule.”
“If I just had more time, I’d be exactly where I want to be physically.”
Except you wouldn’t be.
Because that requires taking ownership and making it happen, regardless of your circumstances.
That truth mirror can be an uncomfortable reality to face.
But it can also be extremely rewarding.
It’s important to understand that your brain is always going to play games with you in order to keep you stuck in a predictable pattern.
Maybe it’s the pattern of self sabotage.
Maybe it’s the pattern of holding on tight to your excuses.
Or, maybe it’s the pattern of staying in a toxic relationship or in a job you hate.
When something is known and familiar (even if it’s damaging), your brain likes it because it’s predictable.
Why are we so attached to predictability?
Because we are built for survival. And our survival-based brain treats predictable situations as if they’re better for us. Even if we know, deep down, that they’re not.
Think about how we evolved and imagine knowing that there was a sabertooth tiger that always hung out around a certain watering hole.
Predictable situation that allows us to avoid danger.
That same brain is leading the charge.
However, our environment is totally different now.
Being stuck in a damaging, predictable pattern can be seriously detrimental to our health and well-being.
And yet, that same survival-based brain wants you to remain there.
Because change is unpredictable.
Here’s a real life example of how this unfolds.
A client reached out to me yesterday and said that she wanted to leave our POP Essentials program because she keeps getting in her own way. She said that she knows what to do, but needs to figure out her mental blocks.
I said … that’s the exact thing that 1 on 1 coaching is for. Sounds like you need more support. Most people know what to do. We can help you remove those mental roadblocks and follow through for yourself.
She said … maybe. But it’ll be a while before I consider 1 on 1 coaching.
Think about that trade off.
She’s willing to remain in a situation where her patterns continue to repeat themselves. To remove any form of accountability. And to waste time (“a while” to be exact) that she can never get back.
This is the hardest part of what we do at POP. We know how the story unfolds and we know exactly why it’s happening.
And all we can do is allow that person to go off and learn the lesson themselves.
Unfortunately, some people just exist in that pattern and never do anything about it. Then they wonder why they wake up one day in their 60s and still don’t like how they look or feel.
Fortunately, it’s never too late. We have clients of all ages that wake up and decide to make a change. That let go of their excuses and embrace the unpredictable and uncomfortable reality of actively changing.
When you understand the way your brain works and why it wants you in known, predictable situations, you can make choices from a place of awareness.
You can acknowledge the fact that it’s trying to keep you in known misery.
“Most prefer the certainty of misery to the misery of uncertainty.” – Virginia Satir
Then, you can tell your brain … we’re going to do this anyway because I know how much this means to me.
It means actually loving the way you look and feel. It means setting a better example for your kids so they don’t struggle with their relationship with food like you did. It means feeling comfortable in your own skin and not hiding from pictures. It means feeling confident and strong and showing up for yourself in a way that you never have before.
It’s bigger than your excuses. It’s bigger than your brain telling you that you already know what to do so you don’t need help.
Exit the pattern. Exit the trap. Take a stand and make a change.
Lean in and don’t stop.
Everything you want is on the other side of that decision.
