The #1 Reason People Quit Hard Things
When it comes to working out, eating healthier, or any other big life change, one of the biggest barriers to success is changing too much, too soon.
If your goal requires you to implement a lot of different things at once on top of everything you already have on your to-do list; it’s going to be the equivalent of riding a bike uphill.
Doable. Short term -until you run out of steam.
This isn’t a knock against you personally, It’s the truth because you and I are human.
Usually, we don’t set out to incorporate healthier habits because we want something short-term; most of us want to change our lives for the better long term.
About 18 months ago, I started running.
I had never run further than from my door to the mailbox (this is no exaggeration) before in my life -I was always told I couldn’t because of my spine deformity.
I just wanted to see what was possible; so before I ran, I walked. Then, I ran + walked in short intervals.
After a couple of months, I ran a full mile without stopping.
And I cried.
When I heard the “beep” in my watch, I looked at it and I couldn’t believe it 1 mile!
Immediately, I stopped in the middle of the road and bawled.
Both my husband and my running partner knew what a big deal this was for me -and I’m glad they were there to witness it.
What happened next?
I proved to myself that I could do hard things.
If I could run one mile, perhaps I could work my way up to two.
Except, with my newly found confidence, I went all out and made the classic “newbie mistake” of “too much too soon.”
That’s when I had my first injury, then my second one, then my third.
I was so discouraged that I thought about quitting -often.
And despite several injuries, including a broken toe that took 8 weeks to heal, after each recovery, I’ve stuck with it long term.
Now running is something I enjoy doing; and it doesn’t have to be fast or far.
The same thing happens with food.
We often embark on a new diet or way of eating that resembles nothing like the meals we cooked before. Short term, we can put up with it because we see some results.
Until it gets hard. And if you have a family, insert *real* hard.
Different meals, tempting leftovers, craving what everyone else is eating…
This is where mindset plays the biggest part because the voices in our heads are loud.
Our internal dialogue is trying to convince us to not do the hard thing and quit. Entering survival mode is normal because humans are wired to avoid discomfort, pain, and struggles.
So, how can you stick with any program (or new thing) when things get hard to achieve your personal goals?
By removing some of the “hard.”
The first time I laced up to run, I ran 30 seconds, walked 1 minute for weeks.
Then I ran 1 minute, walked 2 minutes… until the “hard” (running) became something my body and mind were familiar with, and I could do it for longer.
Everyone has different reasons for changing the way they eat. Most of the parents in my community want their families to eat healthier too.
But changing everything at once will only make it harder.
You can either change one meal and improve it over time or change the ingredients used to make your family’s favorite recipes and stick with healthier eating long-term.
The Family KickStart Program has helped thousands of families change their mealtimes, and I’m most proud of the transformation they’ve had with their relationship with food.
When you can follow a plan designed to help you succeed -just like the run + walk method- achieving your goals is easier.
Don’t get me wrong, you still have to “lace-up” and get cooking.
The difference is that you’ll be making family-friendly recipes with cleaner ingredients, so every time your family enjoys a meal, your confidence in sticking with healthier eating will grow.
And when your confidence grows, you OVERCOME setbacks and roadblocks.
With healthier eating, these are things like:
- Kids want pancakes and they are not part of the “diet”
KickStart has epic pancakes - Take-out is delicious, also not part of the “diet”
KickStart has simple take-out inspired recipes that get done before delivery can arrive at your door - You make nuggets for the kids, on repeat
KickStart has my epic Chick-fil-A copycat recipe - Live with a “meat-and-potatoes” person?
Kickstart is not a salad plan
There’s a reason thousands of families have grabbed a copy of the Family KickStart Program:
B A L A N C E.
It doesn’t matter if you’re relying on drive-through a few times per week or buy all your groceries at Whole Foods; if you want your family to eat healthier long-term, I can help.
I’m here to cheer you on.
Learn more about the Family KickStart Program here.
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