Wow! Hello! It has been such a long time since I last posted an article on the site that I feel the need to greet you all again (although for those who haven’t notice my extreme absence, please disregard me bringing it up!).
Today I’d like to share how I plan on getting back into it (‘it’, in this instance, being my fitness goals and working on creating a better butt!), and I’ll share with you some tips on how you can try to pick up where you might have left off, or simply start something new and set yourself up for success. I think the tips I am about to share may help anyone who feels like they’ve been slacking off, or want to simply be more involved in something of interest.
First though, let me share what prompted me to write about this today.
Where Have You Been, Jolie?
Long story short, it’s been nearly a year since I’ve last posted actively on this site. Why the long absence? I have no good reason. I got caught up in things, life turned busy, and for some reason I stopped ‘making time’ to post, do things I like, and even exercise or work on my butt. (I know what you’re thinking.. yes, times must have been tough for me to give up on that!).
It’s embarrassing really, because while I’ve been neglecting this space, a ton of people have started visiting this site and I’m amazed at the number of readers I get here! So thanks to everyone who has stopped by, that’s what made me realize I’m not the only crazy gal who’s butt-obsessed, haha.
Anyway, to summarize, my basic timeline goes something like this:
Back then: I was making progress, I was on top of my game, I had great habits, I felt great about how much and how well I was achieving!
Sometime after that: Got busy, stopped making progress, started going backwards in terms of results, thought “this is too hard and what’s the point”, then pretty much gave up.
Today: Want to get back to where I was before, and realize I’m pretty much starting from square one, which can be a bit un-motivating!
…Sound Familiar?
I know I can’t be the only one who has been in this situation before: where you want to start again and regain lost progress.
That’s why today I wanted to write a little about how to I plan to get back into the swing of things. What do you do when you want to start something again (a hobby, habit, or goal) that you’ve given up on in the past?
I don’t know about you, but that’s where I’m at right now. When I first started this site a few years back, I was exercising daily, fully committed to my goals of being fitter, healthier and hopefully crafting a better butt in the process! But then life happened, and I got busy, and <insert a million other excuses here>.
Anyway, that aside, I wanted to give you a short summary of…
5 Things You Can Do Today To Get Back on Top of Your Life
1. Know What You Want
Make a list of your goals. Know exactly what you want. Write it down on paper and put it somewhere where you can read it everyday and visualize having achieved those things (this will keep you motivated!).
2. Forget the Past
The past does not equal the present. Don’t beat yourself up about your past performance in trying to achieve things. It doesn’t matter what happened previously because you can’t change the past, and excess time spent thinking about the past is usually wasted time. All that matters is what you are going to do now.
3. Don’t Use Willpower or Motivation, Use Habits
Willpower and motivation is fleeting and hard to maintain. Long story short – you can’t rely on them. Instead, develop habits that you will stick to, which use a whole lot less effort. Do this by modifying existing habits to align with your goals.
For example, do you always have a morning coffee? Make it a rule that you’re not allowed to have your morning coffee until you do 10 squats. Do you commute to work? Make it a rule that you do isometric exercises in the car every time you stop at a set of lights. Chain on to existing habits or make use of ‘low quality’ time like commutes to slip in some proactive action towards your goals.
4. Set up Systems
Systems take the effort out of thinking about having to work on your goal. Take a little extra time as you start to set up a routine that you’ll follow with daily habits. For instance, set up mini habits, and track their progress in a visual way (such as putting ‘x’ s on a calendar for every day you accomplish your habit).
5. Don’t Take on Too Much at Once
One sure fire way to get discouraged is taking on too much at once and then feeling like you can’t keep up. Start small or just focus on one main area for a few weeks first, before adding other items in (if you must).
6. Notice Distractions and Cut Them Short
Identify and be aware of time-sucking activities like watching TV, getting caught up in non-productive patterns of thought/action, and procrastination. If you catch yourself starting down one of these paths, catch yourself and ask yourself: “Is this activity really necessary/useful? How can I spend my time more effectively to achieve my goals?”
7. Expose Yourself To Things that Motivate You
Finally, don’t forget to always keep your attention on things that will motivate you! Whether its images, talking about the things you want to achieve, or just simply thinking about them often, don’t forget to do this to keep your enthusiasm levels high.
I’ll definitely be working on all of these items from here on in, so you can expect to hear more from me.. until then, stay tuned for some new content on BetterButtChallenge.com!