Keys to staying Disciplined

1. Set a specific goal with a deadline:
What are you working towards? Is it weight loss? a 5k? Set a specific goal and give yourself a deadline to accomplish it. Write it down and look at it everyday! This holds you accountable, keeps you motivated, and gives you that irreplaceable feeling of accomplishment once you reach your goal!

2. Preparation:
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail!”. I am not sure who first spoke these words, but this holds true to almost every aspect of life. Proper preparation can minimize if not completely destroy any possible excuses, because no matter what happens, you have everything you need to stay on track with your fitness goals. How do you prepare? I’m glad you asked😀

Prepare your meals.
– [ ] Arguably the hardest part about increasing your level of fitness is eating properly. First, figure out what you should be eating. Next, get in the kitchen and cook up these clean meals for a day or two, or three. Not worrying about what you will eat decreases the chances of you making bad food choices throughout the day.

Prepare your gym bag:
– [ ] Using a small amount of time each night to make sure you have everything you need to stay on track with your workouts, puts you in a position to WIN each day.

Prepare your workout:
– [ ] You have the goal, but how will you put in the sweat equity. Write your daily workout on paper so there is no uncertainty with your routine for the day. Get to your location and smash your workout with no guess work. Anything extra you do is icing on the well-prepared cake.

3. Resist temptation…Sacrifice:
Temptation is the enemy of sacrifice. Sacrifice is one of the essential keys to success. It seems as if Temptation hits an all time high when you are focused on achieving a specific goal. You will make it extremely difficult to reach your goals if you do not make sacrifices. Having a deadline and being prepared makes it easier to stay the course. However, sometimes you have to stop and ask yourself, “Does this get me any closer to my goals?”. It’s a simple yes or no question, do not try to convince yourself otherwise!

– [ ] Your co-workers brought delicious treats to the job? so what, you can’t eat that shit right now. SACRIFICE!
– [ ] All of your friends are meeting up for half price drinks at the local bar? Go have a great time, but make sure only water or juice is in your cup. SACRIFICE!
– [ ] Super busy day planned, may not have time to workout? HA! Wake up 30-40 minutes earlier and smash a home workout (Maybe a workout of the week from the Mayfield Motivation Fitness Blog). SACRIFICE!

In the grand scheme of things, one bad meal, one. missed workout, or a few alcoholic beverages will not completely kill your progress. However, start your journey leaving no room for error. Set S.M.A.R.T goals (google it if you are not familiar with the acronym😁). Remember proper preparation gets the win. Have fun. Challenge yourself. Stay motivated. Stay focused.

I hope this helps someone, somewhere