We often find ourselves in a bad position from time to time, stuck in a hole looking up at how to get up. It’s just life and is inevitable. The common sense side of us will say to look for options on how to climb out of the hole and carry on…
However, the emotional side of us decides to pull out the shovel and continues to dig, making the hole deeper and therefore harder to climb out of.
Here are a few classic examples of how we dig ourselves bigger, steeper holes
I’ve eaten shit on Friday, so I’ll start the healthy eating again on Monday…
This classic is a true tried and tested method of how to dig yourself a deeper hole.
You’ve done well all week. You’ve gone to so much effort to plan your meals during the week, you’ve said no to the chocolates at work. Then you had a stressful Friday, you give in to the pizza takeaway and wine at home and you feel as though the world has ended! Your diet is ruined so you may as well give in, eat as much crap as you can because as of Monday you’re never touching any of this crap ever again…
Until next weekend that is! And the cycle continues over and over again. Maybe not over a week. Maybe this digging is done over a month, or even oer 3 months. But eventually, you end up digging yourself a deep hole each time.
Sound familiar?
Or maybe this story of hole digging is more you…
I’ve not been to the gym this week. I feel so lethargic so I think I will go again next week…
You have been working hard on that work project all week. So much so that you’ve left the office knackered and all you want to do is to drive home to relax. So you do, even though the gym bag is in the car and you will likely drive past the gym to get home.
This happens a few times in a row and you then feel like you have ‘lost your mojo’! You’ve missed one or 2 sessions and all of a sudden, you’ve lost your motivation and you feel like giving up. That one week turns into 2, then a month, 3 months and before you know it you’ve not been to the gym in half a year…sound like something you’ve done in the past?
Classic hole digging!
Or how about this one…
It’s Wednesday, you’re at work and someone has brought in a box of chocolates as a thank you/celebration…
You’ve said no all day but the pressure has been relentless. Almost everyone has been saying to yourself..’oh, go on! Just have one…one won’t hurt you. Under such pressure, you have JUST THE ONE! But then this ONE leads you to think that you’ve ruined it all so you may as well have another. Two leads to three, three to four and four to fourteen!!
The damage would have been minimal with one, or even 2 chocolates. But the next 10-12 is classic hole digging and does serious damage both to your result and also to your emotional state.
Maybe you are guilty of one, two or maybe even all three of these self-hole digging scenarios?
So what can you do?
If I told you to dig deep would that sound counterintuitive?
I’m talking here about digging deep within yourself. Going into those pools of reserves in order to be strong and climb back out of that hole and carry on.
This is the hard thing to do at the time, but if you can get right into it, you will find it much better and easier in the long run. And the more you do this, the easier it becomes…
Until the time that you feel like you have a ladder in your backpack that you can pull out and use to climb out of the hole you’re in and continue with your journey
And here’s a few things you can use to help build your ladder
#1 You’re Only One Meal Away
A classic strategy within Forever-Strong now. And for good reason…it works!
Instead of putting off your healthy eating following a binge or lapse. Simply get back on track at your very next meal. Don’t wait until Monday. Stop the guilt eating for the rest of the day and no need to allow 4 chocolates to spiral into 14!
Just get right back on it at the next opportunity…you’re only one meal away #OOMA
#2 Get an Accountability Buddy
Getting going again with an accountability buddy to keep you in check and to call you out on your bullshit!
We find that answering to someone is a great way to keep you in check. Whether this is daily meetups at the gym, pictures of meals within a WhatsApp group or a larger community FB group. SImply telling people the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth will go a long way to helping you succeed.
#3 Accept Failure and Move On
Step Back Start Again Concept
A very difficult thing to master (it took me a while) but once you do you will find it liberating, and extremely helpful. You will learn so much more by allowing yourself to fail, accepting the fact you’re human and learning from what you did wrong and what led to it….
Don’t labour on it, don’t berate yourself for being weak etc. You would likely let others off with failure and look to support them and offer advice.
Simply switch that from external to internal behaviour.
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So that’s 3 simple but very effective methods to stop you digging big holes for yourself as you journey to where you want to be with your health and fitness.
The road is hard enough! Why make it even tougher for yourself by self-sabotaging and digging yourself that big hole that just seems to get deeper and deeper. Instead, use our tips to build yourself a ladder to quickly get out of your hole and move on…
