Mistakes aren't bad. They are just opportunities to learn, grow, and get better

tmoneyag99

I tell this to my 4.5year old when he makes mistakes.

I think a problem a lot of us make is that our "goals" may not be the right goals. The number on the scale is a goal for so many of us but how we get there may not be sustainable. Or how we get there may not result in optimal health plus how do you evaluate "mistakes" getting there. Mistakes are opportunities to learn.

So maybe we should re-evaluate our goals. Instead evaluate what a healthy lifestyle looks like and work on achieving that goal. I can't help but imagine if we focus more on what we can control rather than what is on the scale, or on the tape measure our body will follow. Kind of like watching your pennies and your nickles and dimes will take care of themselves.

What are your non-weight related goals? Related to health?



My dieting pennies that I watch are:

- Drinking 2 cups of water for every caffienated beverage.
- Eating 90% of my meals without added sugar or sweetners
- Eating 90% of my meals within +/- 100calories preset by MFP

My exercise pennies:
- Getting to the gym 3x a week.

My Current Year's Goals:
- 90% of my meals will have 1serving of lean protien (3oz), 2 servings of fresh vegetables 2 servings of fruit
- Meet the Mayo's fitness test.


My goals for the next 2 years: Get back to my pre-fat fitness levels.
- Make daily healthful eating a habit.
- Be able to run 2miles in under 35minutes
- Lifting heavy weights 3x a week.

My (stretch) goals for the next 5 years:
- Get involved in Crossfit type physical fitness.
- Potentially be fit enough to compete locally. (winning not necessary)


Point here... If I achieve the goals above, my body will follow.

lalalacroix

My goals are focused around changing my entire lifestyle in order to spend many months of each year hiking. That includes dropping an additional 40 pounds and getting in the best shape possible. I am doing my first thru-hike in 2020. So I have a lot of work ahead but I am very focused. And I'm thinking that I feel so passionate about this goal that I may be able to make my weight loss goals easier than I have in the past when my main purpose was to just look better naked.

lemurcat2

Great title. That was an important breakthrough for me, with my tendency to certain cognitive distortions like catastrophizing. A mistake didn't mean everything was ruined, it was an opportunity to think about why it happened and how to prevent the same thing going forward, and also a lesson that imperfection is okay.

ahoy_m8

DH always says good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions.

Your post reminds me of something I read a while back on the MFP boards... you don’t become a person with visible abs then adopt the habits of a person with abs; rather, first you adopt the actions of a person with abs and eventually become that person. You said it better though— complete the actions and the body will follow.

Fflpnari

It took me years of making mistakes to find out what works for me. Why wait to start crossfit? start now

I've done crossfit for 5 years, most of those years were obese. I have to modify workouts. My coach is amazing at thinking of alternate movements or scaling them in some fashion. Try a class and you may fall in love and become addicted!

My non scale goals:
Track and hit my calories goal every day.
walk 10k steps a day.
Drink enough water daily

elisa123gal

I focus on two things.. eating whole unprocessed foods and make them into tasty great recipes so I don't feel deprived. That, and I am focusing on being active and exercising so I get strong and toned.

Logic tells me if I keep doing those two things.. I'm good to go,.

CSARdiver

Love it!

FAIL - First Attempt In Learning

If you aren't failing, you aren't trying.