Building a great body seems like a daunting task for most people out there. But fitness coach, YouTuber, and owner of RealScience Athletics (a science-based supplement company) Sean Nalewanyj stresses the fact that it’s not nearly as complicated or difficult as you may have been lead to believe.
“Proper training and nutrition is actually a fairly straightforward process. It’s the psychological side that causes people to fail more than anything,” Sean says.
Here Sean shares three important mindset tips to maximize your chances for success:
Keep in mind the long-term ROI.
It’s natural to only be focused on the immediate short-term benefits of your new fitness program. But it’s just as important to consider the long-term effects as well. Remember that the new workout and diet habits you’re building will serve you not just for the next few weeks, months or even years – but literally for the rest of your life. It’s not just about building muscle and losing fat either, but also the health, strength, energy and mental benefits you’ll reap. Keeping this in mind can help to keep you motivated during those initial stages when things may seem a bit more challenging and unfamiliar.
Adopt a slow and steady frame of mind.
Trying to rush things and force the outcome will only increase the chances that you’ll eventually burn out and quit. Gaining muscle and dropping body fat is a slow and gradual process, and it’s important to accept this at the outset. Otherwise, you’ll most likely end up resorting to extreme methods that aren’t sustainable in the long run. Forget all the quick-fix workout plans and fad diets you see circulating everywhere, as these are simply gimmicks meant to pull money from your wallet versus delivering real results. “It may seem counter-intuitive, but taking the slow route will actually end up being the fastest way to your goals”, says Sean.
Focus on consistency rather than perfection.
Not only is perfection flat out impossible, but it isn’t necessary in order to achieve fitness goals anyway. Expecting perfection from yourself 100% of the time will only serve to stress you out mentally and cause you to feel discouraged any time you make a mistake, leading to eventual resentment and burn out. You of course need to work hard and be consistent in the overall picture, but getting things “right” around 80-90% of the time is usually good enough. When you do inevitably slip up for whatever reason, don’t be too hard on yourself. Get back on track the next day or next week and just continue moving forward. As long as you’re making continued progress over time and you don’t quit, you’ll succeed eventually. Sean Nalewanyj adds, “the simple fact that you reach your fitness goal period is far more important than how long it takes to get there.”