“If I only had the willpower…”

Or the motivation or whatever to workout it would be so much easier reach (insert goal) and have all your dreams come true. Right?

For those of us who aren’t intrinsically motivated to go to the gym or work out consistently it almost always seems like a struggle to stay on track when it seems so easy for others. The truth is, that’s most of us.

One of the most common goals we hear at First Guess Fitness isn’t fat loss, performance, or muscle building: it’s consistency.

This has really got me thinking about what the most important factor is for the 90% of humans who struggle with this.

Yup, 90%. This means if you struggle with this your’e not alone. Not even close.

We talk ad nauseam how important it is for health and fitness habits first and foremost to be sustainable but it always takes a little effort and elbow grease to get the ball rolling (and stay rolling). A healthy lifestyle is never effortless.

So what got us here and why is creating the habit of exercise so damn hard?

Here’s the deal: creating any new habit takes effort. And being the complex creatures we are it’s never a simple task to rewire our brains to compete with the old habits. Even when the pain of staying the same is great.

Think about it. You’ve created most of your routines and habits over the days, months, and years of your life. Everything from your work routine, to your fitness plan, to your nutrition approach have been repeated over and over and over.

This is one reason that even when we know what to do we still struggle to do it.

If you’re here and reading this I can only assume you’re looking to change. Maybe you want to get consistent with your workouts or nutrition. Maybe you want to break some bad habits or create some new good ones.

Want the cheat code to not only muster up the will power to stay consistent with your habits but to smash any goal you set for yourself?

It’s much more simple than you might think…

It’s your environment.

Was it as sexy as you thought it would be?

Your environment is the one thing that can make or break reaching your goals. Every. Damn. Time.

If you don’t control your environment, your environment will control you.

In fact, most of your current habits are a result of your current environment. Another reason why it’s so easy to go back to old habits. Well, unless you make the effort to change that of course.

To help, here are a few ways you can control your environment:

Your Home

The first question you should ask yourself is how can you make your home space more conducive to nailing your habits? You might have to spark joy by cleaning and decluttering first #MarieKondoAF and after that setting things up in a way that makes it hard for you to fail.

Things like having your gym clothes laid out and visible (clean and folded of course) and your gym shoes by the door can help with getting you to the gym.

If you work out at home, make it a space you actually want to work out in by keeping it organized and ready for a great workout. If you live in a small apartment, you may just have to keep it extra tidy so clutter doesn’t build up to deter you from getting started.

Another pro tip is to write yourself little post it notes that are placed clearly in your regular path like on your door or the bathroom mirror.

Your Kitchen

Don’t have the willpower to not eat that extra slice of cheesecake in the fridge? Me either. Don’t put it in the fridge.

As a general guideline: What goes into the kitchen will be eaten. Whether it’s by you or someone you love, it will be eaten. It’s much easier to not bring things home than it is to not eat them when they’re there.

Getting rid of the non-nutritious stuff or foods that trigger you to engage in poor behaviors and filling up your space with all the healthy stuff is one of the best ways to ensure you stay on track with your goals. I’m not saying these foods are off limits, just that they shouldn’t be part of your regular environment.

Your Social Circle

Perhaps one of the most challenging parts of controlling your environment would be cultivating a social circle that support you and will keep you accountable. The old adage of ‘you are the sum of the five people you hang out with the most’ is mostly true.

I fully understand that it isn’t always possible for many people just pick up and find new humans to surround themselves with so that might mean having honest conversations with those around you about how they can support you. (If you struggle with this, here is another article with some tips HERE)

Some of these may seem a little too intuitive or oversimplified but you’d be surprised how making a small change to your environment can impact your future success. Remember, small hinges swing big doors.

Your environment also isn’t limited to your physical spaces and also includes the thoughts you think and the words you say so small shifts here will help your dreams come true as well!

Control your environment and control your success.

Now get to it!

Fist Bumps of Ultimate Glory,

Steve

P.S. Could you use a major upgrade to your environment to nail your health and fitness goals?

If you answered ‘yes’ then I think you might just like training with us at First Guess Fitness.

Click the link below to snag 4 small group training sessions for only $49 and no commitment!