Excuses or Results? Take The Easy Route - The Upward Spiral To Fitness & Weight Loss!

Copyright (c) 2011 Caroline Radway

Are you struggling with motivation to take that first step towards a fitter, healthier you?

Do you feel that it could all be so easy, but you don't really know where to start? Perhaps you feel overwhelmed because you then let your thoughts run wild and think about all the pitfalls - what if I can't keep it up, what if it's all too hard? Fear of failure is debilitating, so it is VITAL that you remind yourself that the only failure is not taking any action at all! There is nothing to lose by trying something - even if it doesn't work perfectly it will help you decide upon a better route.

One of the best ways of thinking about your journey in life is as a series of spirals. We know how easy it is to take the downward spiral - you miss a workout and then start eating badly, or you eat one chocolate and suddenly the whoel day is a write off... But if we simply flip that notion on its head it is a stark reminder that creating an upward spiral can be as easy!

Yes, if we stop thinking about where each step will end up, and simply take one small step forwards and upwards, the next step seems to be there, waiting expectantly for another small, do-able, positive step!

So, if you don't feel like going for a walk, just put on some exercise clothes and trainers. Don't think about the next bit. Once you are kitted up, you feel more ready for action - when you are wrapped up in a dressing gown and pyjamas even an athlete is not in athlete mode, so simply a change of clothes can make a huge difference.

That simple, easy, positive step drives you forwards to the next one - getting out of the door. In life coaching and time management coaching the 5 minute rule is often used to get people doing things they usually put off and end up never doing. This works fantastically for exercise too - say you are going to do 5 minutes, and that's it. If you feel like doing more when you start, great, if not, at least you have done 5 minutes! I am actually using that technique right now - writing articles is the thing that keeps staying at the bottom of my things to do list, as I have client emails, programming and 'important / urgent' tasks I need to do, so the 'important / not urgent' things can get forgotten. They can be more important than the urgent things - in the same way that putting off exericse today as its not 'urgent' whereas all the chores and jobs and emails screaming for your attention are 'urgent', but in the long run, you simply cannot keep putting off getting healthy!

I teach an outdoor fitness 'bootcamp' and all my clients LOVE the feeling of getting up and out in the mornings - there are evening sessions too, but the effect of getting up that little bit earlier, getting started with that pretty huge step, or series of steps, on the positive spiral, means making better choices for the rest of the day becomes easier. The feel-good factor is biochemical due to the endorphins released because of the exercise and being outdoors, but the sense of achievement and positivity has it's own feel-good factor. Spiralling upwards!

Noticing that life operates in spirals makes it easier to halt those downward spirals - as you know that all you need to do is take one small positive step in the other direction, rather than thinking about the whole journey, to kick start that positive momentum taking you onwards and upwards!

So, make the choice right now - ditch the downward spiral of excuses, and say 'YES' to life and the positive spiral of taking positive action, and getting the cascade of positive effects that will surround you as a result!


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Caroline Radway is a Wellness, Fitness & Nutrition Coach based in Southampton, England. For your free MIRACLES Success Solution Ebook, visit Fit Body Fix.

Caroline also operates a member site for workouts, nutrition advice & more: Free Fitness, Nutrition & Weight Loss Member Site