subject: How To Increase Your Chances Of Getting In Shape [print this page] Eating right and exercising right are important when it comes to getting in shape and losing weight. However, the mental aspect tends to be the biggest rate limiting factor here.
Many people, however, simply neglect this aspect of getting in shape.
Thus, without further ado, here is how to increase your mental fortitude when trying to lose weight:
1. Have a very specific goal: Wanting to get in shape for "better health" is too vague and will lead to undefined action. So come up with a goal that is both specific and compelling. The more specific the goal the more likely you are to succeed.
2. Measure your progress: The main reason for doing this is to avoid the natural tendency to overlook progress. When you are working towards something for an extended period of time, it's very likely that you will forget how much work you've done.
3. Use a carrot, not a whip to motivate yourself: All too often someone will run away from something negative in an attempt to motivate themselves. Over time, however, this technique will drain you of the will to move forward. Instead, motivate yourself with a big fat carrot.
4. Set deadlines as much as possible: Deadlines help you trim the fat off of what you are trying to accomplish. You see, without deadlines most of your dreams will remain as dreams. You need time pressure to get things done.
5. Take baby or giant steps: If you do too little you won't see results. If you do too much you can become overwhelmed. The key here is to do as much as possible while avoiding physical and mental burnout. And keep in mind that this will change over time as your build up endurance.
6. Expect setbacks: Although counterintuitive, the highest performers have the highest rates of setbacks. You see, the more you set out to achieve the more you are going to fail. So expect setbacks and don't let them derail you.
Increasing your mental fortitude while trying to get in shape is the best thing you can do to increase your chances of success. So take heed of this advice right now!
