You had a bad weekend. You fell off the healthy lifestyle wagon. You ate a lot of junk food and didn’t follow your exercise program. Whatever you do, please, please…DO NOT JUMP ON THAT SCALE! It will only bring more attention to your mistake rather than helping you to find a solution. Instead, you should jump right back into “the game.” This is now a mental battle. Guilt will try to creep in and keep you trapped in the past and unable to focus on the positive steps you have made. Athletes often face this type of battle. Professional baseball players know they shouldn’t focus on their last strike out. Their next time up to bat, they must visualize themselves hitting a triple or a homerun. If they focused on their last at bat, they would be likely to strike out again. Like athletes, we need to concentrate on making the next play count!
Satan desires for you to dwell on your past mistakes and wants to prevent you from reaching your fullest potential. Guilt is a tool Satan uses to keep us trapped. However, God forgives us for any mistake we make. We need to follow God’s lead and forgive ourselves. With forgiveness, we are free from guilt. We can focus on the hope of tomorrow and see new opportunities as they approach us. So, whenever you feel like you have missed your mark, or you have fallen off of the healthy lifestyle wagon, just remember to dust yourself off and get back into the game.
In Proverbs 24:16, we learn that even if “a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again” (NIV). The righteous man uses God’s strength to get back up and keep fighting the good fight! You can reduce your chances of falling by having a plan of action in place. Here are some great tips to help you move steadily towards your goal:
- Find a training partner to help keep you accountable for showing up.
- Pack a bag with your gym clothes and tennis shoes and keep it in your vehicle. This ensures that you will never forget them at home…again!
- Realize that fitness and staying active are not goals with a finish line. Staying active should be a part of your healthy lifestyle FOREVER.
- Aim to break a sweat each and every day. You do not have to commit to a 30 minute, 60 minute, or even a 90 minute workout or run. Instead, just try to break a sweat by doing something every day.
- Make your calendar your new friend. Each day that you successfully workout and complete a regimen, mark it on your calendar.
