Hesitation is one of our greatest obstacles as fitness coaches. Many people who have health and fitness goals let hesitation get the better of them for years and decades before doing anything about it. I find that this is one of the greatest roadblocks we face when trying to help a potential client change his or her life. The fact is, many potential clients have often been putting off making a change for a very long time, and as Mel Robbins (author of “The 5 Second Rule”) is so adept at explaining, any hesitation is long enough for our brains to kick in and actually MAGNIFY the potential risks of making a change.
This is because our brains are wired to prevent us from doing uncomfortable and challenging things. And when you hesitate, your brain will actually start working against you – helping you to imagine greater potential loss, magnifying the difficulty of changing your life, and remembering the fear of failing again. Very often, in the end, these habits of hesitation essentially kill the excitement to change, to grow, and to reach your goals.
Just think about it, your day is made up of thousands of decisions, and so often, you make those decisions based on how you feel at that moment. You might have had big plans to work out at lunch and then eat a salad, but the morning was tough, so instead, you skipped the workout and went out for a burger with friends.
It’s true that if you delay long enough, you can always put off doing difficult things. Difficult things like working out and sweating, running 3 miles, and saying no to dessert…. these can feel like hard things, but it seems like the longer you think about it, the harder they seem to become.
You rationalize to yourself saying… I’ll do it later, I’ll start tomorrow, it doesn’t matter. But we are here to remind you that it does matter! If you do truly want to change your life, lose weight, and take control of your health, STOP HESITATING. Stop overthinking the potential difficulty and start moving!
I highly recommend Mel’s book if you are struggling with this, and as a result, you are watching the months and years go by without taking charge of your fitness. If you want something more for yourself, find a place to help you reach your goals and jump in! Fully commit to yourself and your health and don’t hesitate – you will never regret starting TODAY.