It’s Wednesday, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping. And I may just recite you a poem today.
Maybe not.
However, let’s talk a little shop about something that I see plague too many of our Crew. A pitfall if you will. One that will derail any and ALL fitness programs. One that is the most dangerous to your long-term success. One that is 100% avoidable.
And that is this…
Relying completely on willpower.
Yeah, I know we’ve been told that we need to be “mentally tough” to stick to a diet or fitness plan. And that all we need is willpower.
That’s total horse****. Success in fitness has to do with realistic goal-setting and healthy habit-building.
Here’s why relying on sheer will is super harmful:
It’s unreliable!
By definition, willpower means saying no to what you want to do. And saying yes to things you don’t want to do. That system is unpredictable and not constant over time.
Sometimes you “feel it”, sometimes you don’t. And sometimes it feels impossible to summon your willpower, especially when you’re tired, stressed, sick, or are in situations not aligned with your goals.
In other words, no one on the planet can have superhuman discipline and control every minute of every day. Willpower is no match for your diet when you spend a week at an all-inclusive resort in the Bahamas for 10 days.
A torrential downpour is going to derail your scheduled walk. A fresh Krispy Kreme donut at work when you missed breakfast is going to taunt you until you give in.
Point is this: Depending on willpower alone won’t help you achieve your long-term fitness goals. And it’s a fool’s errand to even try. We’ve all tried. And we’ve all failed.
Instead, work on habit-building. Prioritize healthy, productive behaviors that rely on a set of habits, not willpower.
Here’s the best part…Once a habit is established, it takes a lot of energy to dislodge it.
You ever get caught in a weird schedule and forget to brush your teeth in the morning? It will ruin your day. I feel the same way about my morning walk. And that’s what I want for you.
You’ve got this,
Jeff Pelizzaro
PS – If you need help building habits that become non-negotiables in your daily life, we’ve got you covered.
You can join a group of like-minded golfers who want to create life-long habits to stay fit so we can play this great game for as long as the good lord will allow in the 18STRONG Membership.
See you on the inside.