We do not rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems.
-James Clear

3 Reasons why people fail to reach their goals:

👉People plan for their best day

When my client's set goals, it's not uncommon for me to hear a high expectation matched with an unrealistic timeline. Sure, you can lose 60lbs in 6 months, if you were able to dedicate your entire focus on meal planning, logging food, counting calories, working out, resting, self care, and if you didn't have to do your life. But the truth is, that is not realistic or sustainable.

Often times, people set a goal, make a plan to get to that goal, and then life happens. Most people end up giving up on their goal and going back to what they were doing before.

So the real issue here is the system. If you want to make lasting sustainable changes, it is imperative that you create a sustainable system, that is doable even on your worst day.

Small Changes over time = Long Term Success


👉Old brain always wins the resources

If weight loss is your goal, you have to get healthy first before you can work on losing weight. Eating less and moving more does not equal health or sustainability. If you don't take breaks to refeed, you are deficient in key nutrients, or your goal is too aggressive, it will not be sustainable and it will set you up for failure.

If weight loss isn't your goal, but you're too busy to eat during the day, that will affect your ability to do the things you say you want to do. Ultimately your brain will default to what is easy and habitual to conserve energy.

Eating enough nutrient dense foods, getting in regular and frequent meals, and making small changes over time ultimately will help you be more successful at whatever goals you are trying to reach.

Your logical brain will always lose when it comes to changing behavior if you do not have the resources, and systems in place to make it easy and sustainable.

👉Focusing on the goal and the comparison game

It sounds crazy, but when we focus on a goal there is a sense of destination or arrival. The truth is, arriving isn't the point. When you set a goal, you are basically saying you want to become someone else. So consistently acting like the person you say you want to be, will utlimately get you where you want to go, and more importantly help you become who you want to be.

When you focus on your goal, you are constantly comparing whether or not you have made it to your goal. It's how are brain works as a predictor. However, often it backfires and the message we get is that we aren't doing enough, or we're not good enough because we don't match the goal that we say we want to be. Ultimately self sabbotage can kick in.

STOP IT. INSTEAD FOCUS ON YOUR SYSTEMS!

If you want to "Get in shape", it's useful to come up with quantitative data of what that might mean to you. However, what you are saying is that you want to be someone who is active and works out regularly. When you can make that mindset shift, suddenly your systems become the priority, not the end destination.