Five tips to stay the course on new journeys
Andy Summons
As Nu Form starts its journey, we’re conscious that everyone’s on their own health and fitness journey. As we draw on experiences of journeys past to keep us inspired and working towards our goals, we wanted to share some of the things we use to stay the course and continue on when the road gets rocky. In hope this supports you pursuing your health and fitness goals, whether you’re starting out, starting again, or looking for some fresh energy.
1. Define your success
Wherever you are in your journey, having a clearly defined goal will help drive you towards it. If you don’t define what success looks like to you, how will you know when you achieve it? Whether your goal is to run 5km, establish a regular yoga practice, move every day, or feel fitter and healthier, defining what your success is, will improve your chances of achieving it.
Once you have a clearly defined and specific goal, think about the best way to achieve it. Research, ask friends or professionals who can point you in the right direction because working smarter is always better than working harder.
2. Stack your habits
When you’re starting out on your fitness journey, establishing strong habits will help you stay the course. And the best way to do that is to start with something small and stack it onto an existing habit. Say your goal is to build up to running every day and your morning routine includes making yourself coffee. You can start building that daily habit by stacking a short run onto your coffee ritual. Soon, the two habits become connected and everytime you think of your morning coffee you’ll remember your daily run and the coffee excitement will transfer across too. On the days you’re not feeling it, try and stick to your habit and substitute a walk for a run.
3. Use action as motivation
Sometimes the excitement of a new journey can wear off and you’re left feeling flat as it feels like your goal is impossibly far away. The best thing to do when spirits are low, is to do something. Do anything to move you towards your goal. Instead of searching for inspiration – the perfect playlist, waiting for the right time of day or better weather – just make a start. Get to your yoga mat, make it to the gym, get outside and start running. Even small progress is better than nothing.
4. Self love
It’s important for your mental health to remember that success is rarely linear, there are usually setbacks. It’s important to celebrate the little wins and milestones. And if you falter, fall short or fail, be kind to yourself. Take time to reflect on your progress and use that as inspiration to continue on. A few setbacks don’t define your journey or your progress. Clarify the best path forward and keep yourself accountable.
You know yourself better than anyone. So you also know when you need to hold yourself accountable. Self love is more than just forgiveness, sometimes it calls for tough love and acknowledging when you can do more or do better. Feeling (and getting) lost is part of the journey. Aim for progress over perfection, and remember the most important thing is to continue on.
5. Fall in love with the journey
When it comes to health and fitness journeys, it can be easy to fall into the conditional satisfaction trap – I’ll be satisfied when my down dog looks like the teachers, I’ll be happy when I can run 5k without my face turning bright red. This mindset sets you up for frustration and disappointment.
Success is not guaranteed, it’s not linear and if you want to give yourself the best chance of reaching your goal, find joy in the journey. If you can find happiness in the ups and downs of your journey, you’ll be happier in the short term and reaching your goal will be even more rewarding. And if you don’t reach your goal, you’ve already won because you’ve enjoyed your time moving your body.
Make it yours
We hope these tips help you on your journey as they have helped us over the course of the Nu Form journey so far. Embrace your journey, remember it will be as unique as you are. Enjoy the highs and work through the lows. We believe in you.
About the Author
Andy Summons is a writer, photographer and ocean lover. He lives by the sea in Bundjalung country surfing, working out how to be a new dad and slowly re-establishing a yoga practice.
