The Push and Pull of Determination and Results
I had a talk with someone recently about the determination that people have (or lack of), specifically when it comes to fitness. Although our talk was about fitness, I thought it was actually a good representation of determination and results in general and why some people seem to give up on things just a little too early.
I’ll use the example of fitness and a gym regimen to illustrate my point since I am a fitness nut myself and I think it’s something that most people can relate to. We all know someone (you might be one yourself) who has all the ambition to get that great beach body for summer when the sun comes out. But so many people either give up on trying to get it after a few weeks of trying or they never even get passed the “idea” of having their summer body.
I could write for ages on this, but I’ll try to keep it short and sweet. I find that the biggest deterrent to getting into a proper fitness regimen comes down to two things:
1) Vague/unrealistic goals (this is very VERY often the case)
2) Quitting too early
Having a goal like “I want to look ripped”, “I want to lose weight”, “I want to look good” are so subjective it is almost laughable when you read it. Yes, those statements above might be what you want, but without some real numbers or concrete ways to know when you’ve reached your goal, you are very likely to fail. How ripped is ripped? How much weight until you’re happy? What defines “good looking”? Specific goals are attainable because…well you KNOW when you’ve obtained them. “I want to reach 6% body fat”, “I want to weigh 170 lbs”…those are more concrete and you’ll certainly know when you’ve reached those goals. Unrealistic goals are even worse, because you WON’T attain them (in time). “I currently weigh 120lb s and want to be 200lbs with 3% body fat in 3 months for the beach.” Is damn near impossible. All the steroids in the world wouldn’t help you do it…
Quitting too early is an interesting thing. A lot of people start a fitness program and quit after 4-6 weeks if they haven’t gotten their six pack or look like the model they were aiming for. The reality of the situation is that for most people, it takes MONTHS to see real results from changing your lifestyle. That’s what it is, it’s a lifestyle change…not just a gym pass. It’s tough because the biggest motivator for people to continue doing something is to see results…to know that they’re on their way at least. When they don’t see it right away, or even in a few weeks…they think something is wrong and need to change or abandon the path completely. Many tried and true fitness programs usually take about 2-4 months to see noticeable results…making changes in someone’s life to better themselves/make a new career/run a business/ etc, may take MUCH longer. Don’t quit just cause you haven’t seen your payoff right away.
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