Are you failing when it seems like no one else is? Are you failing when it seems like no one else is?
Centr Team
25 Nov 2020
You hit a roadblock on your health and fitness journey. Maybe a gym membership is too costly, you’ve suffered an injury setback, overindulged during the holidays, lost focus, or you’re just not seeing results. Do you throw in the towel? Or do you find a new way to keep chasing your goals?
The question we’re really asking here is: why do some people achieve success in their goals where other people give up?
If your strategy when you hit a roadblock is to step back from your routine, reassess, come up with a new plan of attack, and go again, new research suggests you have a greater likelihood of meeting a challenge and achieving success. They call it a ‘strategic mindset’. We call it having a game plan.
What exactly is a game plan?
A game plan doesn’t mean having every step from the starting blocks to the finish line mapped out. It’s having the ability to reevaluate your approach if things aren’t going your way.
Think about a footballer who comes up against a tough opponent: they don’t walk off the field, they pivot to different tactics. Someone with a game plan will, in the face of a setback or challenge, ask themselves questions like “How else can I do this?” and “Is there a better way?” It’s the mental equivalent of a coach scrawling new plays on a whiteboard in the locker rooms at half time.
The international team behind the ‘strategic mindset’ idea did multiple real-world studies of 860 people overall – including college students and adults pursuing professional, health and fitness goals – and found that people with this attitude “tended to apply more effective strategies when working towards their goals”. And because they took stock and used effective strategies at the right time, these people achieved success.
How can I apply a game plan when I feel like throwing in the towel?
Just like you can perform sit thrus better after breaking the movements down and building them back up with Centr Masterclass: Da Rulk, a game plan is something you can learn, practice, and master.
Centr community member Colin – who has had his share of setbacks and hasn’t always stuck to his routine – reminded us of this quote: Be stubborn about your goals, and flexible about your methods. That’s a great way to think about what it is you’re trying to achieve with Centr.
Let’s take a look at some of the hurdles you might be facing in your health and fitness journey, and how you might step back and apply a game plan to come out a winner.
Dropped the dumbbell on your fitness routine? Get some outside support and advice from a friend, or from the Legends in our Centr community!
1. “I’m just not seeing results”
Ask yourself: Am I doing everything I can to set myself up for success?
Putting everything into that 30 minutes on the mat is exactly what you need to do, but are you skipping workouts when your job gets busy or fueling your body with unhealthy food? The routine that will get results is the one that is sustainable and works for your lifestyle – so give yourself time for a bit of trial and error to find the most effective game plan going forward.
Are you more likely to train consistently if you do it first thing in the morning, instead of leaving it until after work? Getting takeout meals is so much easier when you have a lot on, but could you set aside an hour on the weekend to prep and freeze your healthy meals for the week? Find practical ways to make it easier for yourself to stick to it and achieve success.
2. “But this program worked for my friend!”
Ask yourself: Would something different work better for me?
There are so many ‘rules’ floating around in health and fitness that a newbie might be easily convinced there is only one plan that must be followed. This is where we step in and remind you not to get fixated on one way of achieving something – our bodies are different and so are our motivators, so be flexible with your methods while staying focused on your goal.
If the old way isn’t making any progress for you, don’t be afraid to stop and try something new. This could mean changing the location of your workouts, the style of training you’re doing, the equipment you’re using, who you’re training with, or when you’re training. Exploring a variety of methods isn’t just about finding what works best for you – it will help you stay engaged, can give you a mental break, and can be great for blasting off a plateau, too.
3. “It’s too hard”
Ask yourself: Is there another approach I can take?
The road to success is littered with dropped dumbbells, burnt out aromatherapy candles and empty chip packets. If you keep falling into the start-stop-give-up cycle, it may help to approach your goals the way you would a puzzle: just because you couldn’t figure it out the first time, doesn’t mean it can’t be done – you just need to come at it from a different angle.
This will require some brainpower upfront but will help you take a more strategic approach to achieving your goals that is more likely to stick. For instance, you know those people who put together all the corners and edges on a picture puzzle first? Maybe there’s something in that – try to set up all the little things that will give your routine a structure, then you can get to work on filling in the picture.
4. “I don’t know what to do next”
Ask yourself: Would getting an outside perspective help?
As a wise man once said: You don’t have to make yourself, by yourself. If you get lost down the rabbit hole, hit a plateau, or could do with a bit of direction in your journey, don’t be too proud to ask for outside input. Fresh eyes on what you’re doing may uncover something you’ve been too deep in it to see.
This could be from a professional (e.g. a physical therapist or dietitian), a training buddy or family member, or our Centr Community. Sometimes, all you need to take the next step is a little support and affirmation that you’re on the right track.
5. “I’m just not enjoying it anymore”
Ask yourself: Is this really the best way to do this, or am I just going with what’s familiar?
You’re in the zone… but then the zone gets comfortable and suddenly starts to feel more like a rut. While a familiar routine will get you to a certain point, you’ll need to challenge yourself if you want to take it further. This doesn’t have to be anything extreme – you may just be ready to add weight or go up an intensity level in your training.
If you’re REALLY not enjoying the journey anymore, it might be time to ask whether you’d be happier and healthier pursuing a different goal. It can be scary to think that you might have ‘wasted’ all your efforts to this point, but consider it a learning experience. Maybe you started out wanting to build muscle and bulk up, but you move and feel better when your body is leaner and more functional. That’s great – now you know that, you can get on with making it happen.
You’ve got your goal, now put that game plan into action and go get it!
