Young fitness woman doing her fitness routine in the park.
Unfortunately, contrary to popular belief – there is never a good time to start – there is only the decision. Decide whether or not you are going to start and move forward with conviction. The problem with waiting for the best time to start is…it doesn’t really exist. On the contrary, the longer we wait to act, the more difficult our quest may become.
There are a multitude of reasons not to start, but there are usually a much more significant number of reasons why you should.
Currently, there are about eight weeks until January. For many people, January is the “best time.” The best time to take control of your life and start prioritizing your goals. In the meantime, they have given themselves carte blanche to take it slowly. That’s eight weeks of digging a hole deeper than the one they desperately want to climb out of. If you were to break this logic down with my best attempt at an analogy, I’ll try to get my point across below.
Every week in your job, you need to meet two deadlines per week in order to stay on top of the workload. Every time you miss a deadline, that deadline is added to the following week’s to-do list. There are eight weeks left until January, which means there are 16 deadlines to meet between now and then. Ask yourself: are you going to do your best and ensure these deadlines are met on time or are you going to wait until January and endure the overwhelming pressure and likely poor quality of work that comes with such an arduous task of 16 deadlines to catch up at the last minute.
While we can sometimes work under pressure, it doesn’t lend itself particularly well, especially when it comes to sticking to your long-term fitness goals and learning to maintain a healthy balance to your goals. So ask yourself again: Would you rather use these eight weeks as effectively as possible to get ahead of the January crew? If so, it doesn’t have to be much – even small efforts made consistently over the next eight weeks can be crucial when it comes to having a more solid foundation to move forward from when we will arrive in January and may the fitness fanatics be in full swing!
The period leading up to Christmas can be busy and stressful. I understand that. This is why I advocate a little and often approach for those who are feeling a little overwhelmed by it all. Ultimately, effort is what will accumulate over time in terms of results. Exerting a little and often as we move closer to January will put you in a much better position, both physically and psychologically, when all is said and done and the hype begins in the new year. This is your chance, get a head start!
Today marks my 100th contribution (that I know of!) to the Waterford News & Star! To those who read my work, I hope you found my weekly walks helpful. I’m a lifelong learner so any feedback is always welcome if you feel compelled to contact me via email or other social media I’ve attached below. I hope everyone gains some value and perhaps laughs at my occasional attempts to add a little humor to the mix. I will end with an old Chinese proverb that I am very fond of – it resonates quite well with the subject at hand!
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.
Finally, I also want to clarify that I am not a dietitian. All advice disclosed herein is simply advice based on my qualifications as a fitness professional and my personal experience and knowledge gained from working with individuals and helping them achieve their goals. The advice given is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any health problem – nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. Always consult your physician or qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health.
I hope someone found some of this information useful here, just some food for thought. For any questions relating to this subject or to training, nutrition, etc. or for coaching inquiries, simply message me on my business page on Instagram @coachedbycashel_ or email – (email protected)
