"All or Nothing" is Self Sabotage
"Go big or go home!"
"No pain no gain!"
"All or nothing!"
If you've ever set foot in a gym or group fitness class, you've probably heard mantras like these. The "all or nothing" mindset is so ingrained in our hyper competitive, overworked culture that it's hard to imagine a different way to view fitness.
Regardless of its prevalence, this mindset does more harm than good. It discourages progress and the process. It is demotivating and overwhelming. It leads people to think, "Well, I might as well not do anything."
It's toxic. And only by ridding ourselves of this mindset can we can start to view health and fitness differently.
Here are 5 things to remember when the "all or nothing mindset" creeps in:
1. Health is not competitive.
If you grew up playing sports, this might be a hard pill to swallow. But I hate to break it to you: Most of us are never competing in the Olympics! In terms of being "the best" athletes, most of us have already failed. 😂 But don't let that bring you down. Instead, let it free you from viewing health and fitness competitively and to start viewing it as your own individual journey. You have nothing to prove and no one to beat. That alone should feel freeing!
2. Something is always better than nothing.
Going for a walk is always better than sitting on the couch. Giving 50% in a workout is always better than not showing up. Breaking a small sweat is always better than not getting your heart rate up at all. Remember, anything worth doing is worth doing poorly. Some days you will be able to give your workout everything you got. But most days, the most important thing it simply showing up.
3. Consistency is everything.
Working out every day at 50% effort is more effective than working out once a week at 100% effort. Getting in a killer workout is great, but if you can't sustain consistently your efforts will fall flat. There's no use being so tired, sore, or injured after a workout that you don't do anything the rest of the week. Instead, focus on consistent, sustainable, daily movement. Every little thing you do on a daily basis makes a huge impact. Small steps add up!
4. Health is a journey, not an achievement.
Health is not something you check off your to-do list and are done with. Health is like balance, meaning it is not static. When trying to balance, we never find complete stillness. Balance is actually many micro-movements happening at once, constantly adjusting and calibrating in order to keep you upright. It's active and alive. In the same way, health is not something you "achieve," but rather something you are always playing with, adjusting, and calibrating. It's something we are in for the long-haul, not just until we hit our ideal body weight or mile time.
5. Health is more important than aesthetics.
How you look is not necessarily an indicator of how healthy you are. You can have a six pack but be nutrient deficient. You can be thin but struggle with an eating disorder. You can have muscular definition but get winded walking up the stairs. Let go of the idea that health looks like one thing. Give your body room to change. Give your body permission to look different from what you think it "should." Devote yourself to actually being healthy, not to looking a specific way.
Let go of the "all or nothing" mindset. Commit to the process. Enjoy the journey. We're all in this for the long-haul, and we're all in this together.
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Fire + Voice helps YOU create a sustainable, feel-good, fun AF movement routine-- free from fads, trends, and crazy restrictions-- so that you can live your best life long-term. We offer on-demand classes, a membership platform, and customized personal training and yoga sessions to work for YOU, YOUR life, and YOUR goals.