Is Your Mindset Killing Your Fitness Journey?
When Carrie first talked to me on the phone about our PhotoFit program, she was certain that she did not have the time to workout, let alone start a fitness program. Carrie was a mom of 3, all kids were playing sports, and she worked a full time job. “I would love to change my life, exercise daily, and be confident in my body, but I can barely keep up with the laundry… how do you expect me to follow a fitness plan?” she said.
Through some convincing, Carrie committed to the PhotoFit program. By the end, she said “I am so grateful for this program. You taught me how to make time for myself and take care of my health because I need to be strong and healthy for my family. I need to set a good example for my kids. This was much easier than I thought once I learned how to change my lifestyle and shift my priorities.”
So how did Carrie go from being the busy chaotic mom with no time, to the organized healthy mom who makes time for herself and exercises? The answer is…she changed her mindset from the all-or-nothing mindset to a flexible, growth mindset. Most women who aren’t making time for themselves are stuck in the all-or-nothing mindset. Here are some examples of all-or-nothing thinking:
I’m not going to workout because I can’t get a full 60 minute uninterrupted workout in.
I’m just going to start next Monday because I already messed up this week.
I didn’t workout the past 3 days so I’m just going to take another rest day.
I don’t have the energy and can’t give 100% so I’m going to skip today.
I’m never going to go to the gym again because I feel intimidated.
I ruined my workout because I ate pizza afterwards.
I am quitting this workout routine because I am literally working SO hard but am seeing no results.
Maybe one or more of these statements describe your thinking. The all-or-nothing mindset KILLS progress and will make you feel like reaching your fitness goals is impossible. With that mindset, you can never stick to anything and you are always failing.
The opposite of the all-or-nothing mindset is a growth mindset that allows for more flexibility and grace towards yourself. We are not perfect human beings and our fitness efforts will never be perfect. A growth mindset is what has allowed Carrie and hundreds of other women that we’ve worked with to find success and achieve their goals for the first time in their life! Here are some examples of a healthy growth mindset around fitness:
I have a busy week so instead of 3 workouts, I am going to workout twice this week.
I can’t get to the gym tonight so I am going to go for a walk with my kids instead.
I was sick this week so instead of working out, I focused on getting good sleep with no distractions before bed.
I know I won’t have time this evening to workout so I am going to get 30 minutes of movement in on my lunch break.
I don’t have the energy for a full workout tonight, so I am going to do an at-home yoga video on YouTube instead.
I worked out hard tonight and ate pizza afterwards. It felt good to treat myself with pizza since it’s my favorite food. I will get back on track tomorrow by starting my day with a protein packed breakfast with whole foods.
I am going to continue going to the gym even though it’s intimidating because I know it will get easier.
Results take time, but I am going to be consistent because I trust the process and know I am working hard.
Now you can really see the difference between the all-or-nothing mindset and the growth mindset!
Through PhotoFit, we teach our girls how to shift from the all-or-nothing mindset to the flexible, growth mindset (aka the 80% rule…girls in our PhotoFit program know what I am talking about!). Our ladies learn that being fit doesn’t require 60 minutes a day 5 times per week. Fitness is an evolving process and our ladies see so much positive change in as little as 30 minutes a day 3 times per week. A small mindset change is the difference between success and failure when it comes to your fitness!