I need to believe that I can achieve my goals
From your responses in the assessment, it seems like you need to believe more that you can actually achieve your goals. This is common as people who haven’t previously done much activity as they rarely see themselves as able to be an active person and view those that are as unattainable. But this is about perception of what an active person is and the goals that you set yourself. If you don’t believe you can achieve what you set out to achieve, in life not just your activity goals, you’re highly likely to fail. It’s fine to have a big target, but you must set yourself smaller goals that are achievable along the way, that will help keep you motivated as you should be able to see how you can achieve that smaller step.
An example may be that you want to run in a charity 5km fun run so you may start off moving more in everyday life, add some walking into daily tasks, then move onto recreational walks which can go further and faster, then start jogging slowly and build up to 5km. Thinking about running 5km for many people would frighten them to death but thinking about smaller, more immediate goals, it seems less daunting, more manageable and ultimately more achievable.
Focus on Past Success
If you’ve been more active in the past, focus on the thoughts, activities and the emotions you felt at that time. You’ve been able to do it before so you can do it again. Think about how you did it, what it felt like, what made you do it then and from that, what can you focus on now to help you boost your activity levels again. There may be reasons why the past can’t be replicated now but if there’s one thing that you can focus on, the enjoyment, the way you felt after doing it, who you did it with. this can help you.
Listen to those who can help
Look for help from those that can help you and those that believe in you. Asking people who have become more active for their help, their advice or their journey can help you identify which way you want to go. They can act as a motivator and a role model if they had the same challenges you have as well as providing insight on how to overcome them. Listening to those have knowledge and experience in physical activity will also help as they are a trusted source of information. To contact an Exercise Specialist in the Active Blaby team, please do so by completing the referral on the assessment you’ve finished or on the referral form below.
Imagine the Person you want to be
Modelling yourself on people you aspire to be like can be a powerful motivator. People who thought they’d struggle to be active too but overcame their challenges to achieve their ambitions. You can find some examples of these people by visiting the We Are Undefeatable website. These people will be able to share how their lives have improved from what they’ve achieved and you can feel that way too. The sense of accomplishment at each stage will drive you on to the next goal. Be a role model for others in a similar position or to your friend and family.
Overcome the Fear
The fear of failure can be a strong emotion to overcome. What if you don’t achieve what you want? What if you go back to normal? Maybe think about why you want to be more active in the first place, is it to improve your health, is it to play more with your kids or grandchildren, is it to take part in more activities with your friends? Changing any behaviour in your life, that alone a big one like being more active is rife with fear, change is scary for most people but to help you, you need to fear what you may miss out on by not trying more than the fear of failing by not trying at all.
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