What if we really took to heart small changes over a long period of time? Unfortunately this methodology will require something that doesn't come naturally to American culture; patience.
Here's how I see it: we need to make weekly goals that aren't overwhelming. Start out small and build from it. Make a weekly goal of something that you know in your heart, mind and soul can happen each week without much trouble. Then, once that goal is met successfully for a series of weeks add something else. An example of this might look something like this to a person that is not exercising at all but passionately wants to incorporate it into their life:
First 5 weeks: weekly goal of completing 2 miles.
Next 5 weeks: weekly goal of completing 2 miles, 1 strength session
Next 5 weeks: weekly goal of completing 2 miles, 1 strength session, 1 pilates class
Do you see how I did that? To many people 2 miles per week would seem hardly like a goal. For some reason we think it's got to be a crazy amount of exercise in order to even consider it a goal. Although that way of thinking typically leads to an all or nothing mentality and ultimately leaves us frustrated. At week 15 instead of completing a weekly goal of 2 miles, 1 strength and 1 pilates class we're doing nothing because our goal wasn't realistic in the beginning. Here's an example of what we all too often get caught up in:
First week: workout every single day
Second week: workout 3 days per week
Third week: nothing...because we can't take another day of killing ourselves just to see no change to our body.
I could go on for days about this subject but the gist of it is we need to start out incredibly slow. Slower than we want to start out. Set up for success. Set yourself up to grow.
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