It’s so common now.
I bet you have dozens of notifications popping up and all kinds of urges to open a social media platform and see what’s happening. I bet even mentioning “notifications” gives you a little anxiety—like you need to check them right now.
We all feel that way these days. It’s a period of information overload. We’re interrupted and distracted so often that it’s hard to get anything done.
I want to help.
So how do you make progress toward your fitness goals when so many things get in the way—work, family duties, home or auto repair, grocery shopping, doctor’s appointments and so on?
Here’s a tip: each day, prioritize one thing that will move you closer to your goals. This thing is your non-negotiable action item. Consider it essential. It will be as important as eating. It must be done.
An obvious action item would be “get to the gym for a workout.” If that’s what you select, I’d suggest you train first thing in the morning before anything can derail you.
But what if you just can’t get to the gym or you have a rest day scheduled? Pick something else that will help you move forward. Here are a few examples:
Include protein at breakfast.
Make lunch at home so you don’t hit the drive-thru.
Take 15 minutes to stretch.
Read that report for work while riding the exercise bike.
Walk around the arena twice between each period of your kid’s hockey game.
And so on.
You might look at some of the things on the list and think “they’re super simple.” You’re right. But they’re all related to your goal of becoming fitter and healthier.
Let’s be real: you can’t always do all the things. No one has time. And some days are complete disasters. But if you prioritize just one thing that will move you forward—even a little bit—you get to win every day.
Here’s the opposite plan: on a busy, stressful day, you eat out three times, skip the gym, flop on the couch and drink a six-pack. You’ll probably feel bad physically. But I’ll bet your mental state won’t be great either because you didn’t do anything related to fitness goals that are important to you.
What if you have a busy, stressful day but choose to eat healthy meals packed at home? You still might not get to the gym, and you still might crash on the couch in the evening. But you can feel good about prioritizing your goals on a wild day: “At least I ate well today!”
See the difference? It’s monumental.
So set a point of focus for tomorrow right now. Ignore notifications and distractions. Think about your goals and then plan one thing that you’ll do tomorrow to move in the right direction. Once you make your selection, it’s written in stone. Make sure you do it—the earlier the better.
I know it can be challenging to rise above the chaos of life these days. But your goals are too important to set aside. Take a step forward every day. Even a small step forward is a big deal.
P.S. I’m dying to know what you’re going to do tomorrow to stay on track. Let me know!