If you have ever set out to lose X amount of pounds in Y amount of time, you already know how frustrating fitness deadlines can be and how they can actually cause you to move in the opposite direction of your goals. I talked all about the dark side of fitness deadlines in this blog post.
After that post, I got a few great questions…
Are fitness deadlines always a bad idea?
If I don’t set a deadline, how can I ever motivate myself to stop procrastinating and take action?
Well there are very few things that are ALWAYS bad idea and a fitness deadline is not one of them. Of course fitness deadlines can work FOR YOU when you approach them the smart way. Here’s my two cents on how you can use fitness deadlines for success rather than sabotage.
#1: GIVE YOURSELF A DEADLINE AROUND ACTIONS AND NOT OUTCOMES.
Rather than trying to lose 10 pounds in a month, commit to following specific nutrition and training practices for a month instead. When the month is over, measure how much progress you made with moving toward your weight loss or body change goal and celebrate that change. It will likely be more progress than you would have made had you focused on losing a specific amount of weight instead of taking daily action.
#2: MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON YOUR ACTIONS AS POSSIBLE.
Setting a deadline and identifying actions is the first part of the equation. Simple solutions like preparing food in advance, buying prepared food, or replacing a meal or two with meal replacement shakes like Isagenix can increase your dietary compliance. You can also buy a workout system or work with a coach so that you know exactly what to do each day- no guessing or creating required. Finally automate or get help with as much of your regular life duties outside of fitness as possible to minimize the chances to get off track because *life* happened.
#3: PICK A PLAN AND DO IT- NO TWEAKING, NO SECOND GUESSING.
It is almost unbelievable how quickly after picking a direction that you will come across information and advice that suggests a different or better way to go. This happens to me ALL THE TIME and the information I come across is often my own. Crazy right?
Rather than spending your mental energy second guessing your plan or trying to mesh another plan with yours, stay your course. Work your plan. When your deadline is over, feel free to evaluate other plans and to decide if you will do something differently the next time you buckle down and go into #challengemode again. You will at least have the satisfaction of knowing exactly what the plan you picked produced in results rather than wondering if you should have included the extra stuff. Also you can spend all the time and energy you would have spent tweaking and incorporating the new info on following your plan as best you can.
#4: PICK A DEADLINE THAT MAKES SENSE FOR YOU.
The most common fitness deadline mistake I see is picking an amount of time that is just too long. If the longest time you have ever stuck to a fitness plan is 3 days, you probably don’t need to start off with a 6 month challenge. As a woman with a full life, there is a lot that happens in a week that could get in the way of following through with your plan. Rather than pick a stretch of time that you think it would take to hit your desired outcome, pick a stretch of time that you think is short enough to keep your interest and commitment. You can always pick another deadline after you succeed with the first one.
#5: HAVE A GO TO PLAN FOR AFTER THE DEADLINE
Succeeding in finishing the challenge and meeting your deadline is great but what happens after the deadline is just as important. Knowing what you will do after the deadline BEFORE you are finished is the key to keeping the weight off. At Fit Club, we call life after the deadline #lifestylemode. Pick 2-3 daily big bang for your buck commitments and follow them to keep the progress you have made.
Now that you have the scoop on making fitness deadlines work for you, come up with your plan of attack, set the deadline, and go.
I would love to hear your stories about how you have used fitness deadlines and whether they have worked for you or against you. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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