Success doesn’t happen in a vacuum.  Successful ideas may belong to the individual, but in order to achieve them, it takes teamwork! Think of successful people you may have heard of and the achievements they accomplished.  They had drive and determination, sure, but they didn’t achieve success alone.

My Grandfather had a saying, “Nothing’s worth doing if you’re not willing to do it right”, but I’d like to add this quote from the CEO of Precision Nutrition, where I have my Nutrition Coaching Certification,

“Nothing worth doing can be done alone”

~Phil Carvaggio

When it comes to achieving success in life and more importantly, in adopting a healthy lifestyle, the more you align yourself and surround yourself with like-minded individuals, the greater your chances of success will be!  You may refer to these people as your “tribe”, your “crew”, your “gang”, your “community”, or your “people”, but whatever name you give them, they’re the ones who have got your back.  They applaud you, they encourage you and when you fall down, they are there with a hand, ready to help you up!

When I started on my own fitness journey six years ago, I had no idea where or how to begin this process.  What I did know was that I was unhappy with the way things had been and that I was ready to make a change–I just had no idea how to start!

In Nursing School we were taught a process of approaching problems in a very systematic way, making observations about them and developing a plan.  In fact, this training not only lead me to develop my flagship program, Six Weeks To A Better You® but it helped me develop my Coaching style so that I could help lead others to success. Yes, having a Coach can help you in your journey, but there’s a little more to it than that.  They say, “It takes a village to raise a child”, but when it comes to achieving success, whether your goal is to lose weight or improve your health, the same applies to you too!

So how can YOU achieve success?

Have you ever had something exciting happen in your life, like planning a vacation? Purchasing a new car? Watching your child take their first steps? Or achieving a goal at work?

If so, you probably recall how excited you were to share the news with everyone (even perfect strangers)!  Joy is contagious and in sharing your excitement, you undoubtedly found that people were excited FOR YOU! Treat your fitness journey the same way!

✔Share your excitement!  Not everyone may be as excited or thrilled as you are, but share your excitement anyway!  You may not only inspire others, but you may find some allies you never knew existed!

✔Be patient!  Rome wasn’t built in a day and we don’t get out-of-shape overnight.  Getting fit or losing weight takes TIME and it may take time for the people around you to get on board with your enthusiasm. Not everyone will get on board with your new goals, but that’s normal.  Do YOU anyway!

✔Figure out what you need!  Our spouses, family, and friends aren’t mind-readers, nor do we have the same skills as an infant (who cries or makes sounds to get their needs met).  If you don’t know what you need, how can anyone else?  Take some time to develop an idea or plan before you start, but remember, this is YOUR JOURNEY and this about YOUR NEEDS!

✔Ask for help!  This one was hard for me.  Sometimes I get stuck in a 3-year-old mode and don’t want to ask for help, “I can do it MY SELF!” Sure, most of us are pretty capable of doing things by ourselves, but going it alone can be exhausting. I used to think that it was easier to do it alone, but who was I kidding? If your spouse isn’t super supportive, pick and choose what you need the MOST help with and ask!  You may need to have some tough conversations along the way, particularly if you get push-back, but expect it. If you need more guidance and a specific plan, why not look into hiring a weight loss Coach? (I happen to know one)! 😉  You can get more information here! 

✔Be flexible! When we decide to change, we force others around us to change as well and let’s face it, most people react to change with resistance. Don’t get discouraged.  Instead, have a Plan-B, find ways to negotiate, or include others in your plan.  When I decided to change my eating habits, I initially only did things for me and It made life really difficult (making two dinners was neither fun nor easy).  So I changed my approach.  I took the kids grocery shopping with me and taught them how to read labels and I enlisted the family to help find recipes we could all try. I’m happy to say that six years later, my kids STILL thank me for including them in this process and teaching them how to eat healthily!

Above all, remember, you can’t control anyone but YOU!

Ultimately this journey is yours and yours alone.  There are going to be things that work really, really well and things that don’t.  That is part of the process.  If things get off to a less-than-stellar start, don’t throw in the towel and walk away.  Instead, see it as an opportunity to adjust and change, then try again. Figuring out what works for YOU is like putting together the pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle.

When you are patient with the process, the results can be unexpectedly AMAZING.