Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda
Let me give you some great fitness advice.
Open a calendar, any calendar. Look over the next month. See those boxes and that stretch of time? That’s opportunity knocking.
There’s your fresh start. It’s your commitment to trying a healthier, stronger, and more disciplined lifestyle. And all you need is one month (or less!).
I can’t tell if you are shaking your head no about the last three paragraphs you just read – I do have a sense of humor, right? But don’t get skeptical on this plan. It’s for your own good.
And here’s my disclaimer before I tell you why a 21-day or month-long commitment to fitness is right for you right now. I hate fad diets and their detox, cleanse, denying-yourself-everything approaches. What I love are fitness plans that make you feel fabulous by changing your everyday habits. These plans transform you into a badass in just a small amount of time. Are you hanging in there with me?
So, without further ado:
5 Reasons You Only Need a Month (or Less) to Transform Your Body (and Your Life)
1. It gives you a chance to stop BS’ing yourself
How often do you think “I don’t eat that bad” or find yourself justifying that extra slice of cake or pizza or another beer? You need to find a manageable amount of time to commit to rediscovering your amazing ability to get real and stop BS’ing yourself. Giving yourself just three or four weeks can help you take a good look a what you’re really doing and start making small changes to create new habits. The results you see will surely keep you going.
2. You can get back on track easily, without waiting for some far-off day to arrive
By giving yourself a short amount of time to reboot your lifestyle, you don’t have time for excuses or delaying your plan. If you have a “cheat” meal or fail to work out on a given day, you just have to pick yourself up where you left off and keep at it. A finite amount of time raises the stakes and seems doable simultaneously. Keep staring at that one single page of the calendar. Don’t stretch one bad moment into a long weekend. Pick yourself up, and get going this minute.
3. Your short-term commitment can help you achieve long-term goals
I know you aren’t going to lose 40 pounds in a month. But what if you lost four or five? And what if the huffing and puffing you began the month with ended with smooth breathing and even some “I’m-mastering-this” grunting? If you spend just 21 days on your fitness routine and nutrition, you’ll be on your way to some bigger long-term goals. And why would you want to stop when you are ahead?
4. You need to start somewhere, right?
There’s no better time than now to begin something new. Even if you haven’t done anything for your body in three months, three years, or three decades, there’s always time to begin again. After just three or four weeks of your short-term commitment, the time you spent not exercising will seem absurd. You’ll realize how just a small chunk of time can result in so many positive changes to your body. Those years spent reliving your glory days when you were young and fit or feeling guilty about a lot of woulda, shoulda, couldas will evaporate instantly. Live in the present and work on the now.
5. You can create a well-designed plan that will target exactly what you need in a bite-size chunk of time
If you’re just committing for a short time to your body, such as a calendar month, you’ll want to do exercises that will keep you burning calories and fat and building strength even after your workouts are done. I recommend high intensity interval training, strength training, and a little bit of cardio to turn you into a lean, mean, fat-burning machine.
If you can give yourself three or four weeks – just looking at one month of a calendar – I can guarantee that you’ll reframe your mindset and begin to embrace some, if not all, of the components of a healthy lifestyle. Give yourself the chance and get started. And if you need help getting started, call me about our 21-Day Kickstart program. It’s a short-term program that will be the first step in achieving your long-term goals.
