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Resistance IS Inevitable
- Derek Arsenault (CSEP-CPT, PN1)
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
It may feel like you've hit a wall at times with your health goals, but 99% of the time it's just a natural "eb and flow" happening. A "speed bump" on your path if you will. In understanding this (like REALLY understanding it - not just saying "I know, I know") you can help avoid that "all or nothing", "on or off the wagon" mentality, while at the same time realizing you're doing just fine! 🙂
Resistance is where MOST people fail
I struggle using the word "fail" in health, because we really don't "fail" at anything. We learn or we don't learn. We do or we don't do. There's no "failing". However, in this case I can't find a better word to describe things.
Resistance (not the resistance of pushing weights) but rather LIFE'S STUFF that gets in the way and thrown at us, is where MOST people fail in their health practices. Not as much because it happens, but because of our mindset when it inevitably DOES happen AND our lack of planning for it.
It's the overlooked part of health and working to create positive change for yourself; that planning for what we ALL KNOW WILL happen 100%. We KNOW it's coming. We don't know when or how it may impact us, but it will TOTALLY happen.... LIFE. It has NOTHING to do with your intentions or goals. It's LIFE. It will throw little wrenches and BIG MASSIVE wrenches into YOUR health practices. The question is; how will you ADJUST and work WITH life's "wrench throwing fits"??
Let's discuss a couple things that can get you started in being PREPARED for the INEVITABLE (no matter how good your intentions and goals maybe)... 👇
1) ANTICIPATE RESISTANCE. Big or small, it's coming in some form. It's a given. Anticipating that and being READY for it will help keep you moving in the direction you're looking for (even if it's a bit smaller steps for a period of time... forward is forward). You have to ask yourself the question...
WHEN something comes up and I can't do what I'm intending to do that day,
THEN what? What WILL I do?
2) Modifying and/or Adjusting is VERY different than stopping. We have this aversion to modifying things in our modern minds. "If I do less it'll set me back". NOT AT ALL. I'd argue it'll get you FURTHER AHEAD. Why? Because if you can STILL DO SOMETHING while life is busy/crazy/the unexpected happens... then when your days are flowing smoothly it will be THAT MUCH EASIER to make things happen! Part of planning for resistance in your health routines is the WILINGNESS and ABILITY to ADJUST.
3) Create a 'PLAN B' and 'PLAN C'... even a 'PLAN D!'. Since we can all agree that stuff WILL get in the way of your good intentions and routines, PLANNING ahead will help keep habits alive and momentum rolling.
💪"PLAN A" is your IDEAL situation. This is your routine/plan that you set out to do from the start. This is your go-to most days.
💪"PLAN B" is what you do when "PLAN A" is NOT possible. It's a modified version of "PLAN A". That may be a bit less time, a bit less intensity... maybe both. When LIFE happens, you can IMMEDIATELY roll into "PLAN B" with LITTLE TO NO thinking required (because you already did that).
💪"PLAN C" is what happens when LIFE is kicking your ass and making even your "PLAN B" tough to execute. Once again, "PLAN C" is modified in ways that makes it MORE REALISTIC for you to make happen, even when your days are wonky. But it's still SOMETHING.
💪"PLAN D" is for the super-planners. The preppers if you will. I do think most of us can get away with Plans B & C as our backups, but if you want to really be sure your habits will carry on even during the most hectic and stressful of days/weeks/months, a "PLAN D" might offer a nice positive for you. This would be a modified "Plan C" version of your routine.
**These three points work for ALL aspects of health; exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress management strategies, mental exercise etc... And EVERY one of these three points is usually "not bothered with". 🫣
Now let's briefly discuss how this approach BENEFITS us and our health....
🤔You're not leaving your routines to "willpower". "Willpower" is the health equivalent of magic. Like "hocus-pocus" kind of magic. It's not REAL. We conjure this mental image that willpower is this "thing" that MAGICALLY will happen and appear. What we call "willpower" comes down to habits. HABITS come down to triggers, patience and planning.
Instead of PREPARING for resistance, we ASSUME we'll just "push through" or that "everything will still be able to happen as planned". And how does that usually work for us? Not too well. When we PLAN and ANTICIPATE life's resistance and how they'll impact our routines, we now ELIMINATE the "need" for "willpower" because we know what to do next.
💡We don't have to think - Because it's already done. In our preparation for resistance in our health practices, when something DOES inevitably happen we no longer have to use ENERGY to think and try to force something to happen... because we already thought about it! It's already been prepared. As soon as life steps in to "foil our plans", we take a step to the side so to speak and immediately move into our "PLAN B" or other adjustments... without thinking about it.
👍We practice moving AWAY from "All or Nothing" thinking. When we are NOT prepared or anticipating "#$%^ to hit the fan" at some point, in some way, it's VERY EASY to fall into the "All or Nothing" trap. What INEVITABLY happens is, we then DO NOTHING. Our routine gets blown up, we give up, we sometimes blame the routine, the diet, the noisy neighbours impacting your sleep routine... And we do NOTHING. The anticipating life's "stuff" and planning for THOSE EXACT situations, allows us to maybe have to modify, but we're still working on the spectrum in between the "All or Nothing" extremes. We're still moving FORWARD in our health practices and goals.
☯ We're CREATING more opportunity in our health. When we practice not only planning ahead for the "speed bumps" but also LISTENING TO OUR BODY when we do hit a bump in the road, we build the capacity to "deal with more #$%^" while STILL MAINTAINING our own personal health habits. That's a HUGE deal!! We're building RESILIENCE in our practices, instead of letting life dictate when we "can" take care of our own health and wellbeing without speed bumps.
🧘 We're doing what MOST people ARE NOT. I don't think comparing ourselves to others in most cases is helpful or warranted. HOWEVER, for the sake of motivation or an "ah-ha" moment... If you plan for bumps along the way and you ALLOW yourself to "eb and flow" along the spectrum between the "all or nothing" extremes, you'll be doing what MOST people are NOT. In fact, by doing SOMETHING even when life gets a little wild, you're doing what MOST people are NOT doing. Which means, a healthier you is happening! 😉
This is a prime example for connecting with a Health & Wellness Coach. Not only to discuss mindset and approach when you're feeling down on yourself during those "speed bump" times, but also to help realistically plan and prepare for when these things DO happen. Along the way, you're learning more about yourself and learning how to build resilience in your mindset & health practices.
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