Beware of Perfectionism

What is Perfectionism? 

The irrational belief that you and/or your environment must be perfect.
Striving to be the best, to reach the ideal, and to never make a mistake.
A habit developed from youth that keeps you constantly alert to the imperfections, failings, and weakness in yourself and others.
A level of consciousness that keeps you ever vigilant to any deviation from the
norm, the guidelines, or the way things are “suppose to be”
The belief that no matter what you attempt it is never “good enough” to meet
your own or others expectations.

Irrational beliefs that contribute to perfectionism

Everything in life must be done to your level of perfection, which is often higher than anyone else's.
Its unacceptable to make a mistake.
I have no value in life unless I am successful.
You must always strive to reach the ideal in everything you do because it is in the achievement of the ideal that you give meaning to your life.
Don’t ever let anyone know what goal you’re working on, that way they won’t consider you a failure if you don’t reach it.

Some negative consequences of perfectionism

Low self-esteem
Guilt
Anxiety
Depression
Rigidity
Obsessive
Compulsive behavior
Lack of motivation
Immobilization
Lack of belief in self

To overcome perfectionism we need to:

Accept ourselves as a human beings.
Forgive ourselves for mistakes or failings.
Accept that “ideal” is only a guideline/goal to be worked toward not to be achieved 100%.
Develop a sense of patience, and reduce the need to “get it done yesterday”.
Be easier on oneself; setting unrealistic goals or deadlines sets you up for failure.
Accept yourself the way you are; let go of the ideas of how you “should be”.
Reward yourself for your progress, even when progress is slight.
Realize the most important thing is to be going in a positive direction.
Love yourself, believe you deserve good things.

Fell Off The Exercise Bandwagon

At one point or another, everyone who starts out gungho on the exercise wagon, falls off.  Things come up for all of us such as the kids, career, a vacation and a host of other things that might mean you deal with those before your workout.  Then one day before you realize it you're sluffing off and haven't exercised in days, weeks or a month!  I'm here to tell you that it's in the past and not to worry.  Simpy get back on the exercise wagon and remember your reasons for WHY you started in the first place.  Make it YOUR plan to get back on track.  I'm writing this in part to re-motivate myself and get my mind right and on track.  I hope it will also encourage you to be a striver. 

Goals are critical to your success.  Once you've achieved your goals, set new ones and make sure to have them somewhere you'll be reminded of them.  If you've fallen off the wagon, think about WHY you chose your goals when you first began your transformation.  Keep your goals updated and make them your priority for the day.

If you fail to plan on when you're going to workout and just hope that you'll fit it into your day at some point, you're setting yourself up to fail.  Be sure to schedule your workout session for a specific time of the day just like any other important daily event in your life.  Write it down.  Put it in on paper, the internet, the computer, the phone or any place where you'll see it and be reminded of it.  Friends, your health and fitness is just as important as the rest of your commitments.  Don't let yourself down and fall off the wagon.  Set yourself up for success!

Sticking with an exercise routine is challenging for everyone, even for me.  So if you feel like you're alone, just know that the difficulties of sticking with it are the same for each of us.  Don't give up altogether.  If you find that you're unable to workout 5-6 days a week, if that's just a little too ambitious for someone as busy as you are, then modify your workout schedule and continue to get the benefits from working out less.  Maybe you'll switch up your routine and simply exercise every other day.  Or maybe you'll put in 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening.  Just modify your schedule however you need to make it work for you!  Being consistant is important, and working out a little each day is always better than none. 

So remember, no one is perfect so you shouldn’t beat yourself up if you fall of the exercise wagon.  You didn't give up when you started walking before falling down, you didn't give up riding a bicycle before falling down, and you need not give up execising when the going gets tough.  The key is getting back on as fast as you can.  DECIDE, COMMIT, SUCCEED!