5 things to focus on to help you stick with the gym

The gym is the most amazing place, a place where lives are transformed, where people learn to hold themselves to higher standards, and where people lay the foundations that allow them to evolve into their greatest selves… So then, why are the dropout rates so high, why do so many fail to stick with it and achieve their goals?

So, here are 5 ways to guarantee you stick with it

1. Focus on more than weight loss

Let’s be honest MOST people start their journey in the gym as a way to lose weight or look better naked… by doing this they pretty much disregard all the other benefits that go along with the gym and will eventually give up either because they can’t see the change quickly enough, OR they reach their goal and forget the importance of the process that got them there and the value of the gym starts to subside.

Whereas if we took the time to see and understand ALL the other benefits the gym will have in our lives, we increase its value to us over time

Better energy, healthier appetite, greater mobility, increased self-esteem, improved joint function, better quality sleep, more positive influences, the list is almost endless.

In fact, I challenge you to sit down and write down ALL the benefits the gym gives to you outside of weight loss and you will be amazed at the impact it is having on your life AND more importantly your time spent in the gym will move higher your personal list of values… increasing the likelihood you will stick with it.

Keep this list and take a look at it every time your motivation starts to slide!

So if you are looking for a goal to choose, choose goals related to the process rather than the outcome

2. Focus on the process

The process is EVERYTHING, consistency in your actions is the #1 predictor of your success, yet we repeatedly worry about the end goal about how far away it is, when we will achieve it, we worry that we aren’t getting there quick enough and we spend most of the journey chastising our inability to succeed, forgetting two MAJOR points

• The journey is MORE important than the destination (only always!)
• To enjoy the journey is the greatest gift in life we can give ourselves

👉 There is no happy ending to an unhappy journey 👈

So learn to switch your attention to 3 parts of the process that will guarantee your success over time

#1 Prioritise your health and fitness by turning up (NEVER miss two in a row). Start with easy goals even if its once per week, and choose to gradually over time as you find time and space increase the frequency

#2 Focus on giving your undivided attention to the exercises you are performing in the gym and ALWAYS give your best YOUR best will vary on given days – but it will increase over time

#3 Find an enjoyable experience find somewhere you feel comfortable and inspired by the people around you

So be sure to pick a journey you enjoy, with people who help you enjoy it…

3. Choose the right guide

Your guide isn’t there to impart there will upon you, or to push you toward things you just aren’t interested in or punish you in anyway. Firstly, your guide should care about your goals deeply and work tirelessly to serve you in order to achieve YOUR goals over their own ego.

Your coach or trainer should be like a Sherpa, guiding you along the right path, helping you understanding the importance of staying on that right path if you are to achieve your goals, comforting and supporting your all the way through, and yes sometimes giving you that little kick in the butt when you need it.

A sherpa is NOT a PTI pushing you to serve their goals

The right guide will ensure your experience in the gym acts as an enhancement to your current life, making your time with them enjoyable and ultimately ensuring your time spend in the gym improves your overall LIFE experience and helping it act as a sort of foundation for your future success away from the gym

Because and that’s our next point the gym is just PART of the solution

4. Recognise it as PART of the solution (not the WHOLE solution)

The gym alone won’t help you lose weight, in fact you would be FAR more successful in terms of weight loss if you focussed on increasing just your daily activity and sleep while missing the gym altogether.  << TRUE FACT!!

Obviously (we don’t want you to skip the gym)

So, focus on your time as the gym as an anchor, an action that holds you to a better standard, and to hold your health in higher regard. Use the gym as a platform for your future growth and to encourage and give you the strength to improve your life as a whole. A reminder to work consistently away the gym to improve in all areas that will impact on your health

Sleep, hydration, nutrition, mental health, relationships

The gym is a huge piece of the jigsaw BUT if you fail to focus on collecting and fitting te other pieces you are destined to fail, and remain frustrated by your lack of progress.

Every great success is begotten by thousands of small victories along the way, give them the attention and celebration they deserve. We spend so much of our lives chastising ourselves for the failures we make along the way surely it is time we spent some time focussing on our victories!!

Getting to the gym = WIN

Achieving your weekly or monthly goal attendance = WIN

Dropping a pound = WIN

Saying something positive about yourself = WIN

Celebrating someone elses success = WIN

Celebrating a mini victory = WIN WIN WIN

The more wins you choose to celebrate, the greater your chances of long term success, and consistency within the gym – WIN WIN WIN!