Progress over Perfection

​When it comes to our wellness and nutrition, perfection is just not possible. To enjoy the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, our food and activity plans SHOULD be flexible.

As a coach, some of the most common characteristics I see in new clients wanting to make lifestyle changes are:

• Very high level of initial motivation and excitement

• Immediate implementation of sweeping, large-scale changes

• Immaculate discipline for 4-7 days

This is usually followed by an inevitably “imperfect” day, and a rapid decision that their plan didn’t work. They give up and abandon their previous goals altogether, now afraid to try anything for fear of failing.

As we move through the coaching process, we talk about sustainable steps and behaviors, ways to plan, what to do when you go off-plan, and how to adjust the plan when we need to. When people learn and execute on the behaviors that set them up for success, promote overall consistency, but allow for foods that don’t always fit the “healthy” category we see compliance, progress, and overall enjoyment of the process increase dramatically.

In relation to food and fitness, what we do well for a long time is better than what we do perfectly for a short time. Working on your wellness? Take it slow. Want to eat something that’s “off-plan”? Enjoy it and move on.

Progress and consistency beat perfection any day.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”

-Aristotle