START – With out commencing anything we never see change, improvement, gains or momentum build. In this blog post I am going to take about START. This is something very relevant to me at the moment. I am having a tough time overcoming a block that I have developed around starting a new project. The block Ive created (yes I take ownership of creating the block – part of the way to remove it is to take ownership, recognise it but give it no value) is preventing me from even beginning the project I want to undertake. The project is about growing myself and my business, it will lead to greater things for me and all positive yet I am unable to start it.

How many times have you said one or more of the following statements:

When I get a different job?

When things are less busy?

When I have time to go to the gym?

When I find the diet that works for me?

When I feel more comfortable in work out gear?

When I organise my fridge and buy the right foods to eat?

Is it tomorrow ? Is it next week? Is it next month? NEVER?

As human beings we have become masters of waiting for the right time? Why do we wait? Is there ever the right time? For many of us the distraction and justification help us avoid the the real and risky work of actually doing something. Unfortunately all it does is prevents us from growing, thriving and being the person we really want to be. This causes frustration and anxiety around moving forward and becomes a cycle that repeats itself. Trust me I have repeated my cycle about this project for such a long time. I am now so frustrated I think I am about to break through the block and move forward.

Heres a real reality check statement for you all :

There is no perfect time. There never ever will be !

So if there is no perfect time and you know this why do you start? This has been a question that I have been asking myself everyday. Is there something else underlying that is holding us back? Yes there sure is. There has to be some block with a pay off that we are getting that has us locked in a cycle and it feels as though it never is going to end. Who has always wanted to lose weight but used the excuse of “Ive got a wedding coming up and I’ll start after then” or “I’ll do a shop on Sunday and just buy healthy food” both the wedding and the Sunday shop comes and goes and nothing changes? Whats the pay off you ask? Well if it were me it would be around being lazy and comfortable where I am and not having to take a risk and not succeeding. Also a touch of perfectionism where if the conditions aren’t exactly right I wouldn’t start. All the pay offs come back to being comfortable where I am, knowing the cycle and not taking the risk to fail in the first place.

Ahh it feels very cosy in this cycle – wait what?

No longer does this cycle feel like it is giving me the pay off I want. I want more. You know the feeling when you change something and for a minute you want to go back to where you were but that now no longer feels the same. Well thats where I am right now. I no longer want to put things off and I am also afraid of where I am heading and with that fear I have created a little speed bump in the shape of the mountain of work I need to do. I am overcoming this as we speak by breaking down the project into smaller ones and ticking off these projects. And before you know it look at me I have started! What was I so afraid of in the first place?

I still have a feeling of frustration as things don’t always move as fast as we would like and especially nowadays where we live in a world of instant gratification. If we don’t get something in the time frame we want we have a tantrum. And yes I have them. I caught myself the other day doing exactly that. I had a tantrum about the length of time a guy was taking to make my coffee. No I didn’t throw myself on the floor like most of you are probably thinking, I started to get annoyed and angry at how long it was taking. Then I thought hang on this guy is working on New Years Day for one, he’s on the coffee machine alone, the girl who is working with him has just walked out to get some milk and there are five other people here. Pull your head in. So I did. Im now reminding myself to be a little more patient with what I am doing and just see the project through rather than throwing a tantrum and giving up. Hey if I did there would be an abundance of payoffs and reasons I could get sympathy but this time is going to be different. This time I am going to complete this project (no real end date though as it will evolve over time).

So what is the point of all this. Well its to highlight to you to give things a go. Regardless of what it is. Be patient with it, be kind to yourself and focus on the little things and make those a priority. Getting those done will lead to bigger things and momentum will carry you forward. Remember the most important thing to do is START. Once you do there is no turning back.

If you’re looking to start your fitness journey go to our Personal Training, Group Personal Training or Online Personal Training for more details. What are you waiting for?