{"id":1606,"date":"2018-12-21T14:35:32","date_gmt":"2018-12-21T14:35:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/?p=1606"},"modified":"2021-09-19T16:56:44","modified_gmt":"2021-09-19T16:56:44","slug":"achieve-your-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/achieve-your-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"Want to Achieve Your Goals? Focus on the Feeling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Growing up, I\u2019d always been extremely active, playing sport and embracing a movement-based lifestyle.

However, my activity levels deteriorated when I went to university, and along with it, the peace of mind that inevitably results from working out.

So, mid-thirties, my goal was to rediscover that lost identity. I\u2019ve never been in terrible physical shape, so the aim wasn\u2019t to lose weight or get ripped – I\u2019ve generally always been accepting of my body shape.

Rather, the ambition was to infuse my days with a sense of calm. To shake out the excess restlessness of an over-sedentary lifestyle and reap the psychological benefits of working out… 

To enjoy the endorphin release derived from lifting lumps of metal, running and generally pushing your body hard.

Instead of gunning for any objective improvements in running distance or lifting improvements, I only thought of that zen-like, post-workout feeling.

And though I know some people struggle with their exercise demons, this path was fairly easy to rediscover. 

Why? 

I think it\u2019s because focusing on the process instead of the result of exercising has removed any psychological pressure.

It’s helped to re-connect exercise to my identity and bake the gym ritual into my daily routine.

Are there times I don\u2019t feel like working out? Absolutely! 

But with the repetition of my routine, it\u2019s become blindingly obvious that the quality of my workout days far exceeds those where I take the easy option and don\u2019t go to the gym.

So, on those cold, dark mornings where I really<\/em> don\u2019t want to lace up my trainers, I simply remind myself of how I\u2019ll feel when I\u2019m finished.

And the best thing? Even though I\u2019m not aiming for physical transformation, losing weight and gaining muscle have been nice side-effects of my new system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where We Fall Down <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even though I seem to be having success in the exercise arena, I sometimes find it hard to replicate in other areas of my life.

Take writing for example.

I really want to improve my writing skills, and although I go through phases of writing consistently, I\u2019ll often let it slip altogether.

After some analysis, I\u2019m coming to realise that I\u2019m focusing on the wrong things.

The fact that I want more readers or email subscribers are factors that, to a large extent, are outside of my control.

By placing too much emphasis on such outcomes, the writing process itself becomes a thankless task, an activity to endure before I reach the real spoils.

Contrast this outlook to my exercise, where I\u2019m simply enjoying the feeling of performing the activity.

It might be a subtle shift in mindset, but it\u2019s an important one.

The fact is, I get the same writing high that I do from exercise when I\u2019ve produced a decent article and hit publish.

It\u2019s the satisfying feeling of making sense of my thoughts and honing a craft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are You Struggling With? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When we\u2019re struggling to perform the activities that we know are good for us, a slight shift in perspective is often necessary…

To reframe why you want to invest in that area of your life.

Results-based thinking is a weak source of motivation.

However, when you reframe your thoughts and focus on an intrinsic feeling of satisfaction, you\u2019ll be far more likely to stick to your chosen course.

You\u2019ll do what\u2019s necessary today, and as a by-product, will become the person you want to be tomorrow. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Growing up, I\u2019d always been extremely active, playing sport and embracing a movement-based lifestyle.<\/p>\n

However, my activity levels deteriorated when I went to university, and along with it, the peace of mind that inevitably results from working out. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1609,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nWant to Achieve Your Goals? Focus on the Feeling | Bloomsoup<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bloomsoup.com\/achieve-your-goals\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Want to Achieve Your Goals? 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