Four Steps to Continue New Habits After a Fitness or Nutrition Challenge
After completing a fitness or nutrition challenge, you’ve likely seen incredible results — not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. The common fear is that we will now fall back into our old ways. The structure, accountability, and the group will not be there when the challenge ends . . . or will it?
Four Steps to Keep Momentum After a Fitness Challenge
You may be asking yourself, “How do I stay on a roll?” or thinking, “I’m afraid I will fall back into my old ways.” Below are four steps, when followed, that will help you not only survive and stay on track, but thrive.
1. Be a Role Model
Being a role model is one of the most fulfilling things you can do in your life. When it stops becoming about you and your pursuit of the perfect body, and starts becoming about others, you begin to act with purpose. If your purpose is to help others, you end up helping yourself more than you thought was possible.
For example, how can you be a role model to your family members?
This may include snacking on fruit in front of your kids (instead of reaching for a candy bar), getting up ten minutes earlier to stretch in the morning, drinking a full glass of water with dinner, and speaking positively about all that your body is capable of. Remember, actions speak louder than words!
2. Seek Education
Education feeds motivation. Knowledge is power! When you continue to increase your knowledge about health, you will began to empower yourself and become unstoppable.
Many fitness and CrossFit coaches at CPM were once “students” who became so motivated and inspired that they continued to keep learning, and now are teaching others (see step 1!).
There are hundreds of podcasts, books, webinars, blogs, certifications, and more that are available to you as you seek to learn more about living your best healthy and functional lifestyle. Where will your learning take you?
3. Associate With Similar-Minded People
“The books you read and the people you meet will determine where you are in five years.” — Charlie ‘Tremendous’ Jones.
Do you ever notice how easy it is to eat healthy when the people around you are health conscious? How about the opposite?
Want to be financially successful? Hang around rich people.
Want to be in good shape? Hang around other fit people.
Many people find success at CPM Fitness in Sioux Falls because we are surrounded with others who are just as motivated (or more), have similar goals, and want the best for themselves.
It is way too easy to adapt to what the people around you are doing, so be careful who you associate with.
4. Stick to the Principles
Bring it back to what you know — we all have areas in our lives where we are experts and successful. The hard part about staying motivated is, well, staying motivated — especially when it is something new and out of your comfort zone.
When we get stagnate and feel like giving in to our “old self,” focus on the basics. For example, I (Chris) once received an email from a gym member:
“I need some secret sauce. What can I do better? More of? Do I need to eat better? Should I work out less or more? Differently? I feel stagnant.”
He was at a point where he was frustrated with everything. The real issue was that he was having a tough week with everything vs. what his actual question/frustration was. My response was that he focus on what he knows; being successful in fitness requires the same success principles as in finances, relationships, career, etc. He’s a finance professional, so I asked him:
- How would you treat your business growth? You are not going to make a million dollars overnight, especially in the beginning!
- How would you tell someone to grow their portfolio? Treat your fitness goals just like you approach other areas in your life that you know (financial) and then translate it.
The Goal is to Form New Habits
Why did you join that challenge anyway? Was it to win some great prizes, or was it to form longterm habits?
Psst: We’re hoping you answered the latter. ?
If you are consistent with certain habits in some areas of your life (such as your career or your family life), then you can transfer those habits to other areas of life where you’re seeking development.
Just like during an exciting fitness or nutrition challenge, you must prioritize a few goals daily. Before you know it, they’ll become habits — and that’s when you’ll start to see life change!
