As a personal trainer I can honestly say that my happiest moments are when someone crushes a goal we've set together. A screenshot with their latest 5K run showing a steady pace, under their goal time, and they don't even feel exhausted! I love when I get a message from their physiotherapist saying the programming has helped them move beyond rehab back into regular training. Getting a photo of them when they have gotten back into that pair of jeans they've been holding on to. Those are wins for me as a trainer, but it's easy to get there with a plan.
Often I have people come into their first session after having tried to accomplish something for a while that just seems out of their reach. There is always hesitation to get started, but take that first step. When someone comes to me and they're motivated, no excuses, super upfront and honest about everything they have tried and ready to push themselves, that is the sweet spot. You don't need to have all the answers, just knowing what you want to achieve gives me a lot to work with.
Here are a few ideas to get you going :
1) Put yourself on a schedule. It is really easy right now to fall out of a pattern as most of us are still working from home, or a mix of home and office. Plan your week around what you have to do. There are some things that you can't move (work, meetings, school, etc). There are other things that need to be done, but you have control over (meals, exercise, bed time, etc). Get up early if you have to get your workout in before going to work. If you know you're going to be too tired after work to train on your own book onto a live class and show up, let the teacher motivate you.
2) Get enough rest. This means getting enough sleep at night, but also taking rest days. If you overdo it and burnout then you still won't reach your goals. Not doing anything can be harmful, but so can overdoing it.
3) Set achievable goals that are measurable, random workouts are going to give you random results. If you're focused on improving your run time then your recovery days and strength training will look different to someone that is focused on getting ready for their first body building competition. Make your goal central to your training, focus on specific things consistently and you'll be able to measure your progress.
4) Celebrate your wins and learn from your failures. Notice what is working for you and what isn't. Listen to your body when you win and when you miss the mark.
5) Find an accountability partner, someone that will check on you and that you can be honest with. It isn't about being "shamed" into doing the right thing. Find someone that will keep pushing you to be your best self, someone that wants to see you succeed.
