What To Do When You Deviate From Your Plan
I love January and setting a plan for the new year to achieve goals. However, let’s be realistic that sometimes that plan doesn’t go according to the strategy you set. This has been the case with me. So, if you are in the same boat, don’t beat yourself up. Let’s just get back on track together. Here are the steps I am taking if you want to join me:
1. Identify what part of the plan isn’t working.
Seems simple right? Sometimes it isn’t though. If you committed to working out 3 times a week and you are not, that is pretty easy to identify. Eating might be a bit more challenging to determine the problem. Or, maybe you have another goal and you just aren’t seeing the progress you want! The idea is to identify what you want that isn’t happening.
To Do: Identify what you want to accomplish and what you are struggling to do. Then ask yourself, “Why I am struggling with this goal?” Again, seems simple, but how many times do we beat ourselves up instead of just asking why?
2. Write it down!
There is so much power in writing things down. It keeps us accountable, but more often than not, it helps me figure out my own thoughts! I will start journaling with a blank piece of paper and things come up that I didn’t even realize.
To Do: Write this question in your journal or on top of a blank page:
Why am I struggling to __________________________?
(insert whatever you identified in #1)
Try it and see what comes up even if this isn’t a normal practice for you!
3. Decide on the necessary change.
If you aren’t hitting 3 workouts – grab a friend or coach to hold you accountable, prebook and plan your week, change your workout time if needed. For me, I have been challenged with eating. Nothing terrible, but I know I am eating more than I should and too often. I am not a huge fan of tracking everything I eat, but I am doing it for 3 days to get back on track. I am using an app to track, and am also meal prepping.
To Do: Make a plan of action. Take out the decision-making in the moment and decide a plan ahead of time and that you WILL stick to it. Don’t make it so hard that you can’t stick to it. What can you commit to on your worst day? Write the plan down and post it or share it with someone! I would love for you to email it to me!
Here is my example (I always like true examples when I am making a plan for myself):
I am struggling with snacking too much and sometime picking foods that aren’t the best choice. When I wrote about it, what came up was I was feeling overwhelmed and meal prepping wasn’t happening as much as it needed to on the weekends and wasn’t getting done throughout the week!
My plan of action was to write down what we would have for dinner each night of the week on Sundays. I am looking at activities, if we can have leftovers, if we will eat out… so that I know what we are doing for dinner each day. I also meal prep lunches. I am logging food for 3 days to get back on track!!
Lastly, I love chocolate!! I have it every day, but what I noticed was I used to eat a pre-package dark chocolate square. I am eliminating dairy for a period of time, and changed to Hu chocolate chips. I would grab a few multiple times a day. To fix this, I put 1 serving in a baggy so I know how much I am eating per day and am aware. When my baggy is empty, then I am done with chocolate for the day! In my mind the serving size should be 3 times bigger than it actually is!
I hope you found these tips and to-do action steps helpful. As I mentioned before, please feel free to email me with your plan if you need the accountability! I shared mine, now you share yours and let’s just get back on track together!