Don't Hit Pause on Healthy Habits. Do This Instead.

Life happens. Just when you think you’re dialed in on exercise and eating right, something comes up....

* You switch jobs

* A loved one gets sick

* Your jerk neighbor is complaining about your fence again

* The painters don't show up. Again.

When life throws curve balls, most people's first reaction is to hit PAUSE on eating healthy and exercising, and they vow to get back to it “just as soon as everything settles down."

#mood

Hitting the reset button is a comforting thought. You’ll try again. You’ll be able to really focus then.

That’s probably why New Year’s resolutions are so popular. “Re-do time!”

The problem with that? Starting and stopping is an "all or nothing" mentality.

And guess what? This approach will more than likely sabotage any progress you've made.

"The 'all or nothing' mentality rarely gets us 'all.' In fact, it usually gets us 'nothing.'" - Dr. John Berardi

You know it. I know it. If you hit pause, and stop practicing your healthy habits like the ones in the game, it could be days, weeks, or even months before you get back to it.

It's not how many times you fall off the horse, it's how many times you get back on, right?

So let's end this "yo-yo" cycle, and try this mindset instead:

"Always something."

Think about it... let's say you went off the rails because of a holiday... there's a part of you that's thinking, "well, this week is a bust."

But is that reason to press PAUSE? Don't you need to take care of yourself more than ever to make up for your holiday indulgence?

My game, Get Fit Done, helps you choose "ALWAYS SOMETHING." The game awards you points for practicing the behaviors that improve your health, so even when life gets in the way, you're incentivized to find a way to keep going.

After a while, the hope is these behaviors become HABITS.

Health and fitness should be a priority, always. It’s the foundation upon which all other aspects of your life rest. And that's why the PAUSE button is not your friend.

If you don't build and maintain optimal health, and instead feel exhausted, sick, and weak? Caring for children, doing household tasks, meeting hot deadlines at work, and dealing with that *sshole neighbor of yours will all feel much, much harder.

-----

LIFE DOESN'T HAVE A PAUSE BUTTON

Put the “I need to pause” mentality to the test in this way: How well does it work when you try to pause other areas of your life?

Parenting

Relationships

Work

Paying bills

Pausing doesn’t work so well. Sure, sometimes you’re on your A-game and sometimes you’re simply muddling through, but there’s “always something.”

Fitness and nutrition should be no different.

Instead of pressing PAUSE, adjust the dial instead.

You don't have to have perfect days, but you can always do something.

Maybe do something less strenuous for your workout. Divide it up into short segments. Find creative ways to sneak it in like walking around the perimeter of the grocery store 3x before filling your cart, or running around with your kids on the playground instead of sitting and watching. (Plus they’ll love that!) ALWAYS SOMETHING.

Maybe in addition to eating lots of treats at a party, you also eat veggies beforehand and still get all your water and take a walk the next morning as a gentle restart. ALWAYS SOMETHING.

Drop the “all or nothing” mindset and adopt the “always something” approach instead. Your future self will thank you.

And if you want to join a group of people striving to do just that, play the next game! >