We might wonder why we don’t succeed at something. Here, I am very specific about the context – *health and fitness.*
The biggest challenge that we face to stay fit is our consistent work towards health practices.
I dwelt on this topic of consistency. And I knew that if only I could build consistency in my fitness practices, I will be able to get ahead in my health and fitness. Thats when I would be able to lose my weight from 106 kgs and come down to a normal BMI scale.
But how?
I can watch experts talk about the best health ideas. I may join a fitness club or gym. I may hire an expert. And I can do a lot more to get all the help available in the world.
But, would that be all?
NO! In fact not at all.. we pick up the best gym membership. But, we forget giving our attendance within few days. We watch the best fitness experts and follow the legends on insta, fb or YouTube. But, our mind switches to something else once within no time.
So, what will bring the consistency and commitment to our own health and fitness.
Having stayed committed to my health and fitness, I can share some of my ideas that may help you.
1. Look within, not outside
If you wish to see the change in yourself, then look within. Ask yourself and talk to yourself. Spend time with yourself. Go in a corner and dwell upon your mind, body and soul.
2. Ask yourself – why do I want to get fit and get honest.
We need to be brutally honest to ourselves. When I started and reflecting on my own reasons to get healthy, I realised that I was looking at it as a bargain.
As a way to look good. As a way to impress the world outside. As a way to gain some image or impress upon the people I wanted to.
But, I failed the litmus test. It was never about looking at my health as a way to live. I failed to look at it as a life long commitment. All I wanted was abs, triceps, biceps, calf, collars, wings, deltoids etc!!!
But, I failed to look at it as a way of joy. As a way to redeem myself. As a way to build my identity. As a loyal friend to myself to live in a healthy state.
3. There is joy and pain. Both. Embrace both.
We look for just happiness. We look for just the good things to happen to us. We don’t wish to feel, experience or live in pain. And that’s the major fallacy. You can’t just get roses without thorns. So, is pain the flip side of joy. They go hand in hand.
4. It’s not the product, but the process that matters
We want to there in just 90 days. I see people talking about losing their excess flab ASAP. We want to have the best deal possible – the best return on our time and money. So, we look at it as a profit and loss account.
So, it it fails to work, we abandon it. And we fail to commit. We have become greedy and impatient.
5. Last but not the least – *we look for success, not the satisfaction.*
We are interesting in telling and proving to the world what we are capable of. So, we talk about what we have done. How much we have run.
Infact, we are genetically modified in our childhood and indoctrinated by our education, social system that we need to chase and become runners. But, we need to *run on the tracks of others expectations* .
We look for validation from the world.
But we fail to look deep within that we just needed to be satisfied with our own selves. And this is why there is so much of injuries for over exertions. And ending up and not keeping the commitment for life.
And this is why we fail to be consistent. Because we fail to build ourselves.
So, what is the solution? How to become consistent?
You can find your fitness and build your health and happiness by:
REJECTING THE SUCCESS. AND START LOOKING FOR SATISFACTION.
Here are the tips on how to build satisfaction over success.
1. Eat, sleep and exercise to build a cordial relationship.
With yourself, you must look at your health as a kind of relation. Ask yourself, if you are happy being what you are?
The question should point at YOU. It must be about you, not about how you look, how others feel about you.
Your life choices must be decided on how you want to live in long term. Not the short term goals. So, eat, sleep and exercise in that context.
2. Don’t get impatient for results. It is your work that works. Nothing else.
Look at your life choices as your permanent friends. Keep those habits that you want to have as a matter of lifestyle.
So, if you are going for a run, look at it as a way you live. And you willing to do it at any cost. Not for results. But, as you wish to spend your time doing.
When you would be spending your time in doing things that you will do any how and others opinion won’t matter, you will develop flow.
You will turn it into habit. You will cease to chase the results.
3. Focus on fine tuning your process and integrating it in your lifestyle.
Set up modest targets. Even laughable targets should be fine. I have spent a lot of time in building fundamentals. That’s the core ground work.
For example, if you decide to walk 500 mts every day, that should be fine. Let those 500 mts be your best moments away from the world.
Focus on finding your strengths and the areas where you are finding the challenges. And accordingly choose the work outs, the food habits and your life style practices.
No expert can teach you perfect formula for finding your fitness. Your fitness program must be customized to your work and life.
And don’t discriminate or ruminate over find the best programs. It’s more about how best you could be that suits you.
4. Do less, do more
You need to just find few things that suit your body and your taste. And that’s what you gonna love. Love is divine. If you love skipping, then you will do million things in skipping itself.
And once you find your love, you will be most desperate to do it everyday. Keep doing the same stuff, over, and over and over again. The more you will do, the more love you will feel.
5. Let your satisfaction level be your success factor.
I have run a marathon. I have run over 5000 kms. I get up every morning and I am desperate to wear my running shoes and go running.
So, people ask.
What do you get – medals, money or recognition?
And I know they are talking from the context of success. Nothing wrong about it. But, I don’t run to be fit and healthy any more. Not to lose weight or to look good or to showcase my abs.
My journey has taken me far into the kingdom of peace, joy and happiness. And all I do is to ensure I stay that way – satisfied.
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