Progress Not Perfection

Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I would like to talk to you about putting the focus of your fitness goals into attaining progress, and not perfection.  Although I find it essential to perform exercises with the proper technique, and have preached that you should try to live your life as best as possible, I want to be clear that we are not perfect, and we should set realistic goals, not unattainable ones.  I have seen people get discouraged with their exercise and diet routines because they didn’t achieve perfect results.  And even worse, I have also seen people discouraged to even start an exercise routine because they felt they wouldn’t be able to follow it perfectly.  Both of these are unfortunate and unhealthy attitudes to have.  However, if you strive for progress and not perfection, you will meet your goals in due time, and live a much healthier lifestyle along the way.

Carolina is a client of mine that has had a number of typical fitness goals.  She wanted to lose weight by lowering her body fat percentage. Furthermore, after she received poor blood work results, she wanted to reduce her cholesterol and blood pressure.  Seeking advice we made some changes to her diet and set up an exercise program for her.  Over the first couple of weeks, she saw a significant drop in her body weight losing more than a few pounds each week.  She was thrilled with the results!  However, on the third week, she had only lost 1 pound.  Amusingly to me, she was discouraged with such a small loss.  I had to reassure her that she was working really hard, and the results were all going in the right direction!  Losing a pound was much better than gaining a pound.  And, more importantly, since incorporating the changes, she had dropped several total pounds.  All along the process she was seeing progress.  It would be unrealistic, and near impossible, for her to lose all of the weight she wanted in such a short time frame.  She needed to be reminded that she was seeing progress each week.

Kevin is a coworker of mine that would from time to time ask me fitness advice.  Although he was constantly looking to start an exercise routine he always had a list of excuses of why it wasn’t the perfect time to start.  He would make statements such as “after this gets done” or “as soon as this happens.”  With this attitude he never started a program because he felt he wouldn’t find the time to go as many days a week that would be considered ideal.  So, on the other hand, he wouldn’t start at all…and that left him doing absolutely nothing!  I have said many times that the best exercise is the one you will actually do; and it is better to do something rather than nothing.  Heck, I have even proposed the one minute workout!  It’s ok to take baby steps with an exercise routine…just make your initial goal to get to the gym; then progress by getting to the gym at a regular time, and then to a regular number of times a week.  You don’t have to shoot for perfection from the onset.  It is better to start somewhere, anywhere, and progress from there.  Steps in the right direction will eventually get you to your goal.  Similar motivational clichés are endless, for example, a journey starts with a single step.  Take that and apply it to your fitness routine!

Whether starting a diet, or a new exercise routine, it is better to strive for progress rather than perfection.  Some of even the most hard core athletes and trainers will never find perfection…it is practically unobtainable.  But progress can happen routinely, frequently, if you start small and aim to get better and better.  The fear of never attaining perfection should never hold you back.  Progression on the other hand should propel you forward!  Little steps along the way will get you to your end point.  As long as you are moving in the right direction you will achieve a fit new you!