Progress. Hey, and welcome to this fit Metro fitness podcast. In today's episode, I'm talking about something, what I actually talked with one of my clients and struggled myself actually past couple of months. And the topic is, if I know what I should be doing, but I just can't get myself doing it so quickly. Little story, what is going what has been going on in my personal life? So past months, I have recognized I have had so much things to do, but we I took a little bit too much things on my plate, and I have been struggling to post consistently in social media studies, one of my goals to help more people do actually, it helps my business as well, but I haven't been able to do it. So what has been going on is that, obviously I have my online coaching clients, current clients. I'm very, very happy one on one coaching is almost full. There's only, like, maybe one, two spots three at the moment. In addition, I have been strength conditioning coach for Italian Women's National Team and now opposition. Just started creating individual workout plans for 30 players and updating them, listening talking how everything is going. I also started training with local ski athletes. So Alpine Ski athletes, young athletes between 11 and 15 years old, and that has been so exciting as to see how much, how passionate they are, how good they are, in shape and and in addition, I have been full time teacher for past two, three months, so basically, like three, four full time jobs at the same time. And there is something I was or I am still. It's when this podcast is coming out, teaching. There's a school holiday, so there's a little bit less on my plate and and this was something, what I I had to make a decision that what I'm going to do if I'm and I have to leave something little bit less, even I feel very, very guilty about it. But then for me, it was either my own workouts or or posting a little bit less in social media and and that was for me that I was it was a phase for these couple months that I'm going to post a little bit less for my social media, and instead of focusing on my own workouts, keeping them going, as it would be a lot easier to say for me, like that. You know, this is business is more important. But I overcame with this struggle earlier and earlier. Maybe couple years ago, I would choose differently, but now my own health and fitness are just too important for me to put them kind of in the backseat as how I want to be a coach if I don't prioritize my own workouts, my own health and fitness. So if I for that time, what I have available per day, if I use it for posting social media, creating new content, i i that i find at some point in front of me, and I with my own health, fitness or my relationship is struggling. So it was a decision made with the purpose. And it's not that I I feel lazy or anything. It says that it's you can't do everything and you I had to prioritize what I'm going to focus on. And this, we were actually talking with one of my coaching clients, Camilla, yeah, the other day, and this came to me like, Camila, is we worked originally together in 2022 2000 I think it was 2022 and now See we work like couple months together, and then she learned so much. She kept going herself. And now, couple months ago, she reached out again and said that she almost kind of feels guilty, but if I would have a place that she would need, she loved working with me, and if, if I could help her again, because she knows what she should be doing, and she was actually doing it for good amount of time, like, I think, here or something, by herself. And now she started to recognize patterns that she didn't like herself anymore. She started to skip her about she wasn't so consistent with the nutrition. And that came up to topic, topic we talked about yesterday, how this kind of small changes, even you know what to do, how to make yourself actually do those things, what you know, what you should be doing. So, so what is? What is, then, what is the issue for most people, like, who knows? Because if you don't know what you should be doing, I don't think we are 2024 that most people know what they should be doing. Like, obviously, if you go to some specific like, workout programs, if you are athlete or or something, there might be a different kind of strategies, how to reach your goals or how to get there, but and that they're like some knowledgeable coach or somebody can help you, give you some actually new, new information. But if you are some normal, as say, like stay at home mom or or normal person who don't want some specific athlete or something, but you know that you should be working out, you should be doing your strength training. You should be eating calories, certain amount of calories or or certain amount of or you should be eating high protein diet, like those are kind of like a basic informations. And if you don't know what you should be doing. There is a lot of free tools available in internet. Is full of them. You use chat CBD to ask questions, and you get pretty accurate not always right answers or not the best answers, but pretty accurate information. So basically, information is there for free, and it's available for everyone, but that if you are struggling to know what actually that you don't get yourself get you don't get yourself done those things. So first is always understanding the issue. So why this happens is the number one reason is procrastination. So why people procrastinate even though they know that you you know you should be working out, you know you should be eating healthier, you know you should be eating less sugar, eating drinking less alcohol, sleeping more but still you are not doing it. So this is often it. There are couple reasons why people are procrastinating. So it's, by far, it's normal, like, it's, it's kind of fear of failure. So, and I recognize this, this from myself, like, when I when I identify post, like I don't have enough time, like I tell examples what I use for myself, and now when I talk it loud, it actually helps me to understand why I haven't been doing it as consistently as I would like. So maybe in your case, it's in your workouts, it's in your eating habits or drinking habits, and this is often it's a fear of failure. So for me, it was I'm I was thinking that if I don't have time to edit or shoot the perfect videos or or create a writer great caption or something into my post, so what is the point even showing up if I can't, if I can't do it kind of perfectly, and this is kind of or or that if it's not doing well, it's then it's in some algorithm or something, if I make some silly post and it's not working well, so if I fail Delivering like a hateful content, it means that I'm a I'm a failure. I It doesn't, there is no point even trying. And then it's, it's the second thing is, like, what I already mentioned little bit, is that perfectionism, so it's kind of all in or nothing. So if I can post every single day, or two times per day. What is the point to post two times in a week, or three times in a week? If I can do it every single day? And this is often same thing with the workout. So if you you, if you whatever, like I made up that number what I set goals for myself, that it's one time per day and that I have to do post consistently, once per day or or posting one podcast episode per week. And maybe for you, you have a same number in your mind, that it's a certain amount of workouts, how long they should be taking, and if you can't do it, then what is the point even trying those you know, you probably wouldn't see progress or anything. But honest truth is that, as with the posting in social media or doing your workouts, consistency matters a lot more than being perfect, because I rather be 80% consistent or throughout the year than trying to be perfect for a short period of time, or a month or two when the time is perfect and and because being perfect all the time, there's nobody who is able to be perfect all the time. They might be sharing, some influencers might be sharing in social media how perfect they are and how everything is going well. But trust me, there is nobody who is perfect because, and even if they are, it's not that, it's not that freedom that you are doing. Was my good coach and mentor, Jordan side, well, that perfectionism being perfect, 100% perfect with your nutrition and workouts. It's not being perfect. It's like being in a prison. So you rather be that that was that hit me, that hit so much hope for me, because if I really did it like that, it's if, if you are 100 person perfect, it's really like being in a prison, and it's nothing. It has nothing to do with the getting more results or whatever. So perfection is just just kind of thing, what you shouldn't be or you try to get rid of at least some form. And then third reason why you are procrastinating is that that you are really feeling overwhelmed. So then, like in my situation, there, there were too many things, and then, you know, I had to leave something away. And for example, it was for my social media posting. I decided that it's not going to be every single day. It's just couple times per week. And it's same thing with my workouts, when things are busy, instead of like my personal goals, are doing a strength training three times per week. And now, at the latest lately, it has been two times per week, maybe 3040, minutes per season. And and this is something like the best, okay, this is something what is doable. This I can do. And some weeks it's a 20 minute workout. So it's more kind of like showing up than trying to hit the perfect numbers. And then now, when hopefully there is a little bit less on my plate, unable to add little bit more I'm doing, like maybe three times a week, hour sessions or 45 minutes. Who knows, but I always tend to decided a week before. So for next week, I take time on Sunday and look how my week is looking. I'm going to decide when I'm going to work out, what time is that going to happen? And if something happens, I tend to like, I like to plan my workouts early in the morning. And if I'm, if I'm, if it's not morning, I know that there might happen something during today. Something comes up more important, or where I'm finding myself, talking myself out of that, doing that workout. But then if that happens, I decided which day it will be, what time it will happen. So there is a kind of the planning part, what is, what is actually helping. So then other thing is that? Why? Why I decided to focus more on my work on so I think that, if I'm you might think that that there's I don't have motivation. I don't have motivation honestly, either. And most of my clients will work with me, they don't feel motivated doing them their strength training. So that is something that you should not feel or you don't need to feel motivated to do, but it's also one of the things that are that is the most beneficial way of training, and it's I changed that changed my life three years ago, when I started strength training with the plan, and I thought it was different. I thought that if I'm just active, if I walk, I do some other sports, if I It's okay to not do that much strength training. But now that has been a game changer, the way how I feel, how I look, and for my long editing like that, how my life is, and that has been, it's my clients feel exactly the same. They are not necessarily enjoying doing strength training, but they do it and then kind of all other activities. If you have like for me, it's, you know, winter time, it's ice hockey, summer time, tennis or walking throughout the year, like that is something that you can get me anytime. I don't I don't mind. I I love playing tennis. If somebody is asking me to go to play tennis, I'm, I'm for it right away. I don't need to search some motivation. I'm, I'm open it. Or if somebody's asking me to play ice hockey, I'm, I'm for it right away. So that is something that I don't necessarily count even exercise, but it's something I know that what I enjoy doing and also what I need to be doing. And if I think motivation, if I how I feel motivated and was really coming like exactly the same, if I think that from my last 10 workouts, I feel motivated, maybe one two times that I'm excited to go to do my strength training. Then five to six workouts, or four to six are like kind of the I don't mind doing it. And then three, four workouts out of them, they are like that. I'm trying to talk myself out of I'm saying that i There's no way I'm going to start it, and that is but I still get started and I try to first step is always for me, is to keep promises what I need for myself. So if I have decided on Sunday that next week, I'm going to do two, three workouts, I'm going to do it. I'm going to get started. I don't need to finish my workout. I don't promise myself never to finish my workout. I promise to get started. And some days I do one exercise, and I bought that for a day, if I I don't feel I don't have time, but I promised myself to get started. I don't need to finish it. I don't need to do all exercises, all 4560, minute workout. What is in my plan? But I need to get started. And this is, this is kind of that that my reason why I do it. I went couple years ago, little bit deeper on my why, why I'm doing it, why it's my own health and fitness is important, and that is something I do for my all my clients, as a first step when they join to my programs, membership, coaching, challenges, one on one. Coaching is to go to your deeper why. And this is kind of a simple test and and when I did it, I found that my my I unfortunately lost my dad 15, you know, 16 months ago. So it's and that was the hardest part to see in my life. I still to see how my dad lost his health and was lost his life at age of 70. I lost his health, ability to move, was just being able to be on a bit laying a bit in a hospital for the last five years, I couldn't be doing things he was enjoying for the last 10 years of his life, and that was that pain was so hard for me. And now, when I think about it, I remind myself a picture of my dad is always visible somewhere. So when I don't feel like doing my workouts, I look that picture, and that is a reminder. And that is that pain of seeing him, reminding him what happened to him, that pain is greater than doing, actually, that workout. So when I looked at picture that is, for me, it's the time that I can get started. I don't I want to avoid that feeling. So if you lack of motivation, you don't feel like working out or doing things what you should be known often the reason is that your pain or reason why you are doing it, it's not greater than a pain of actually doing those things. So So I highly recommend to go a little bit deeper. Look What is your reason why you actually want it. And unfortunately, if you are, if you are, if your goal is to just uh, loose little bit body type, but it's not, there's no real reason why that is important for you that is not going to be enough to stay motivated. So it have to be really, really painful or or some reason why this is important for you, and more important than actually skipping those workouts. So this is what I always recommend, and start because motivation, it's emotion. It comes and goes. There is not single person who is motivated every single day you don't feel like doing it, but often those days when you just show up, he promises for yourself are the days what matters the most. So then it's it's habits. So habits for for if you know that what you should be doing like think about it's it's all. I'm a big believer of, of a simple habits and a great book, Miss atomic habits. I think I have read it almost three times now, and I still remind myself and learn so much from the it's the, by far the best book I have ever read. So that is, if you are reader, go to check that out atomic habits from James gear. And this is, this is because those how habits are working. So if you think how you are doing like there are so many things that you do every single day, like you make 10 20,000 decisions every single day. And if most of those happens that you don't need too much speed power, but most of them are like that. You are kind of on autopilot and doing like that. Okay? I hope you are brushing your teeth before going to bed. You make your bit after you get up, you have your morning routine. So it's always kind of similar every single day. And this is, this is same, or if you come home from work, you do certain things, you put you change your clothes, you eat something. And this is, these are, these are, if you have there, there like to change your health and fitness, it's that is the kind of hardest part to understand, that if you have like, let's say that you have 10,000 decisions, what you make in your day. And if you have now, let's say you have a 6000 healthy habits, 4000 unhealthy habits. You don't need to change all 4000 decisions in a month. So if you get 500 better decisions, small decisions, what you make in a day, and you create kind of new patterns, like, what are leading to better outcomes? For example, in the morning, if your goal is to work out in the morning, but you don't get yourself out of bed. What you could be doing? This was one discussion we had a with one of my other clients, like she said she can't get out from the bed. And I said, how you could be doing it? Like to see she had an alarm, but she's pressing snooze and can't get up as the how you where you have your alarm. It was on next to bed. They said, if you put that help, that you sit, maybe second alarm, maybe third alarm, somewhere further that you have to if it's either it's going to ring every single minute or there's a three, four different alarms, and you have to get up to close it down, you still decide to go back to bed or for it you at least you tried, but then it increases that chances that you are actually getting up when next step is that you have your workout loads already ready. They are waiting. They are visible, and all these kind of habits are leaving that what that one workout, or even starting your workout earlier in the day could lead better, smarter decisions later on today, like, if you have done your workout, you are more like there are several studies who are actually showing that that if you have done your workout, your nutrition decisions are a lot better than in a days that you have you are not working out because you often. It's like kind of that now I have done my workout already that now there is I want to keep that momentum going and eating healthier. And if you are often when you miss your workout, then you know, what is the point that you tend to this? Tend to choose little bit unhealthy options, what you are going to eat. So these small decisions earlier in the day, they can lead to a lot better day than if you make you start your day with the bad decisions, and then it's ending up to a bad day. So, so these are, these are kind of issues, what are causing this? So then, obviously, obviously, if you think that that, what is, what is other things like that. It's, it's that you are not, you are not very clear on your goals. So how to avoid, overcome that if you know what you should be doing? So it's kind of that you have a kind of plan. And it's, it's more detailed, it is and it, it helps. Like Camilla said that, okay, she knew she had to strength train, but when she was doing it herself, she didn't made a mistake, that she didn't have a plan and that, do you know? Okay, two times I know exercises, there's no problem. But then when she had a plan and she started, when we started to work on together, she had my workout that which is which she loves. So simple to use. And then she knows that, okay, she had workout days. They are every Tuesday, every Friday, every Saturday. Okay, if something happens on Tuesday, she can do it on Wednesday. That's no issue, but you have set your workout days. And then she knows exactly when the day is there, what to do. She knows that this is the time, what I need, if it's if it needs to be a less, then it's going to be less and but there is no that this is synthetic, that you know what I should be doing, what I should be training like. Should I be waiting, doing wait still. Should I be walking? Should I be doing cardio? It takes a Gisbert away. You know exactly what to do. And, and that is, that was what she said, that that was a it's a game changer. And also, also that what helped her is that that she have, she knows that she have somebody who is looking after so she knows that I'm going to Control, I'm going to message her, I'm I'm going to see if she have done her workouts. I'm going to see and control what she has been eating. I'm going to ask questions, and it makes her thing. And now it's like she's also very, very kind of person, that if you have a plan, you find a way, if that is important for you, you find a way how to actually do it. So she's not talking herself out of it, then there is a different ways. So those are kind of all things. What are increasing your chances to get yourself things done? So accountability to having somebody who you are reporting, who you are responsible. So it's it's the same thing for me, if I I need coaches, especially for my like I know for my strength training, that's something that I okay. I know how to program myself, but I have been thinking about hiring a coach to just to see, first of all, different ways to work, how things are working, and it it just feels great to have somebody who is coaching I have had in my business, social media, contents and part being part of the group or or having one on one coach, like, it's, it's, we are all different. It's, it's like, for every person, it's what kind of accountability works for you or somebody are driving for kind of group support, like, for my membership coaching, it's on Facebook group. We are hanging out there. We are talking about fitness, things, about challenges, because people are in the same situation than you, and you feel that you are not alone. And it's same, same thing for me, if I'm in some for example, social media or coaches group, there are people coaches who are in the same situation, struggle with exactly the same issues. You see somebody else who is in exactly your situation is having success. So you get that belief that it's possible also for you, and you hear that you are not the only one who is not seeing or who feels that they see too less results, because that is so common that it's, it's, if you look social media, it's all about posting wins, how everything is just the rainbows and it's, it's just everything so perfect. But then when you see that this is not the reality. Reality is like that. If I, if you post like if you think the coach was posting before after picture, let's say I have worked with well over 1000 people now, and if I if I would post some kind of item, I, by the way, I hate posting before after pictures because they give you kind of unrealistic expectations. But on the other side, they are the best marketing tool. So if somebody is getting the belief that this is exactly a person who I am, and he have seen results, so I could be doing two I would be seeing results doing the same thing. So this could give me for someone believe that it could be me. I could be the next one. And that is the kind of reason why i Very occasionally, sometimes I post some before after pictures. But if you think that 1000 people, I would choose maybe three, five, maybe 10 people. How much is that? That is like a less than one version of all people. And then if you see those one person 0.5% from top performers, top before after pictures in social media, and then you compare yourself with those pictures. So think about how you're going to feel if you are somewhere in the middle, which is still very good, how you think you are going to feel about yourself and your progress, why it's so slow, why everybody else is seeing faster progress? So this is something that don't compare yourself. It's not how it is and and just reminding that it's building muscle, losing fat, improving your health, creating those new habit it takes time, and it takes a lot longer than you would like it takes. And so these are kind of the that those accountability parts, then how to strategies, just how to overcome the in action. So sit in smaller votes, so don't take too much of the play. That was a mistake. I did it in the beginning in my coaching career, people like I was, I was a young coach, I was seeing like that. I need to build my business as quickly as possible, and I need to get some amazing transformation pictures, before after pictures, and somebody knew who was very motivated coming to me didn't work out four years and said that now I'm paying for a coach, so I need to get started five times in a week. And I was like that, seeing already those before, after big stress in my mind. And then I was thinking that now let's go five times a week. Harder, work out better, faster our results, right? And what happened was two, two and a half weeks, she did everything, sure like hell. And after that, I didn't hear anything anymore from the client. So and I was thinking, okay, she wasn't just motivated, and now I understand that that was me holding the mistake as a coach used I would never put anyone anymore who is starting from after a long workout, break working out five times a week. So it's going to be at the most three times a week. And then if, after four weeks you have been staying consistent, you still feel like that, you could and you want to do more, then do more. But what is the point of doing more? If you're if you get results, if you get enough results to keep going to do whatever you want, that it that it feels kind of almost too easy, and you still see results. Why to do more? If that keeps you going. Keep going. You don't need to do more. Why to do it's it's all about, like working out harder is not better than working out smarter. So rather, you work smarter than harder. Then, like I mentioned, that accountability. So it could be a coach, it could be accountability partner, or some public Facebook group, or, for example, in my membership coach. So those kind of accountability if you are, and you kind of need to take action, because if you are, I have seen so many people who are joining, for example, in my accountability group, but they are not. They are kind of inactive. There you don't take and I'm kind of the same person too. So I don't enjoy sharing too much about personal stories or something, but when I do it, it increases your chances to take action. There is actually a studies that shows that almost like a 5200 pros and pros and more likely you are to see results if you are active member in some band coaching. So put yourself out there. Don't be afraid. You are not going to fail. There are other people who are struggling with exactly the same problem. So put yourself out. Start taking action. Be active member, that is key of the accountability part, and then obviously enhancing that environment. So think about what is, for example, visible in your apartments, what you are going to see when you come at home? Do you have a big bowl of cookies or candies on your kitchen table where you are passing like 20 times per day, or in your work, or do you have their health eruptions? So this is kind of that creating the environment that supports your desired action. So whatever, whatever your goal is, ripping out your workout clothes, if your night before are increase in chances that you are actually working out in an early morning so or or having those healthy snacks available, or when you open your fridge, there is first thing, what you are seeing is some healthy snacks, and not some chocolate cakes or whatever you don't you would like it to eat. But then if you don't get that kind of visible cue, it's going to be a game teacher, and then, like we talked all those creating routines, rituals, and they take away. So it's, it's in like, for for example, for me, it's, I put my workouts into my calendar. It's every Wednesday morning I have a workout with my crew. So I know it's a Wednesday morning, six o'clock, it's been it's a workout time. I need to be there. I'm going to work out myself. So those are kind of routines, rituals, what are helping and what, what are helping me, and what you could be trying to build in your in your My, also your own routine, then thinking other things. How to overcome this trouble is to change in your mindset. So broad mindset is the key of everything. So, so if you I'm not going to go deeper on this, but seeing that where challenges usually are opportunities, and they are not obstacles, but they are possibilities. And this is, this is the same thing. What I try to do is that it's, it's you don't if you are not good enough at something, you can get better. You can improve if you practice, but if you never practice, and this is, there are, there's a great book I would recommend this that, no, I've got the name it's from, wrote against the closed mindset book, whatever I I don't remember now, but If you are interested about reading about mindset. Quote, mindset, I recommend you to check out some other resources or listen it later. So then other thing, one thing, what is very, very common with this mindset is to be more kind for yourself. So think it is the best way how I can say it, that if you what we tend to mean, like, meet you. I feel guilty about not doing something or or overeating on vegan. And then I said, What is the point to get even started? You know, if I kind of ruined everything and I missed the workouts for past months, so what is the point even getting started, think always what you would say to your best friend in same situation. So kind of trying to take away you can you could journal for some people, journaling virtually, talking about these things, but just if you think it in your own mind, think what you would tell to your best friend in the same situation. So they kind of that 10,000 meter view from your situation. And you write down, what is reality? What do you think? And then what you would say that if, let's say your best friend would be exactly the same situation. So let's say, for example, you I have missed my workouts for two weeks, I didn't do anything. So what would I say to my best friend, who just complained to me that I I've felt so unmotivated. I was busy at work, my kids were crazy, and I didn't work out for two weeks, and now I feel like that. I lost all my muscle, all my progress, I gained little bit even scale weight. So what is the point even trying? And if your friend is coming to you like we tend to tell ourselves that you know you ruined everything already. So what's the point even trying? You can do it. But if you would tell this, if your best friend would tell what you would say, you would probably not say that you've idiot what you just did. Rather, you would say something like that, that's okay, that happens in your life, and you can always get back on track. You are one meal away from getting back on track. You are one workout away being on track with your workouts. You gain as consistency matters more than perfect. So this is kind of being nicer for yourself. So and then then other things like it says that, like practical tips is to have either join or some kind of challenge accountability group. So I'm thinking that it don't need to be perfect. What is? What is actually helping is that you kind of put something like, what I like, like I I have gave up, gave so much things away for free. But what I have seen that if I give something for free, people don't appreciate so it's something that more you invest and more you are putting kind of skin on the in a place more likely you are to take action. You pay for this something, whatever you are doing. And it's same for me. You know, information is for free, but if I don't pay, it's just a funny thing, how that money changes and it don't. I don't say that. It have to be 1000s or something. What is something? What is meaningful for you? So for someone, it might be one euro 50 cents, that is a big investment in their current situation. And for someone else, it's 1000 it's 10,000 1 million, 100, millions, whatever. But that it feels that it's something meaningful, that you are more likely actually to take action. And this is something, what I'm planning to start again my eight week sentence. It's a little promotion. There is going to be more information soon in my social media, in my podcast, in description. So it will be starting on June 24 so soon after this challenge is over, and in this challenge, I'm going to create all workouts for you. You have a plan, you have access to my apps I create for your specific goals. So if you don't know what your goals are, we are talking about it what makes sense to get started. And then this is not that, you know, it's just eight weeks. It's just that often, what I have seen that people, when you have a goal, like we talk, if you don't get yourself doing now, you have a reset. A goal reset it put it in a smaller pieces. And this is only beginning of eight weeks. My goal is because you know that my goal is that it's the beginning of the eight weeks, and that you keep going. There have been so many people who said that, okay, for some people that they make sense was everything they needed, but so many people stayed after in my inexpensive membership coaching. So then you have the community. You have workouts. You know what to do. You have actionable steps. You have weekly check ins, all that kind of stuff. What we talk to make yourself to take action. And it's not. It's not. I know it's perfect time when it's the perfect time, there is never perfect time to do it. So, so just get started. And in this challenge, I'm going to publish it in end of 28 or something, this registration opening, and that challenge officially starting on Monday 24th of June. So more information, you will find links in my profile in my social media, and I hope she use. I hope this episode will set it for. Thank you again for listening and hope to see you in the tenants.