That's a pretty big question. Why do we quit? Let's back up a bit and get back to the beginning and ask the question, "Why do we start?". Specifically, why do we start working toward a goal like paying off debt, getting more active, bettering our health, or even progressing in our career? Think about that. "Why" can be such a powerful word if you truly ask it.
When I started working on my health my "why" was big. And it was personal. I was nearly 230 lbs. I was not active (although I really wanted to be). I had a 2 year old, a husband who was working to build his business, and a full time job that really was taking up the most time in my life. I didn't feel good. I was tired all the time. And I was watching my mother fight a losing battle with cancer. I remember coming home from picking up my son from daycare and just being DONE. I broke down. And as my husband held our little boy I looked at the both of them and said that I was going to make a change. I was going to get healthier because I needed to be on this planet a long long time so I could take care of them. I wasn't going to be held back by my health. And I was going to make a change. My "why" was big. That's why I started.
Along the way I hit bumps. I had times where I gave up on feeding myself well. I would take long breaks from working out. I would lose a little weight, and then gain it all back. And at times I would just quit. But why do we quit?
Two main reasons why people quit anything is discouragement and fear. For me it was a fear of failure and looking like a fool. And discouragement because in my eyes, I actually did fail. And over nearly 30 years of yo-yo dieting and trying to do something I would quit over and over and over again. Failure had become part of the pattern. I'd start out motivated and confident that this time would be different. Then I'd give it a shot, make a little progress and get excited. Then a circumstance would come up and I'd hit a bump. And because I hadn't been perfect, I would see it as a failure and then get discouraged. Then I'd quit. And I'd done this so so many times and finally I got to accept my defeat and truly gave up. I would just be a big girl and would focus on loving myself the way that I was. All the while, I was obese and had the knowledge that someday that obesity would catch up with me and I would end up with high blood pressure and diabetes like my mom. And I would most likely develop cancer and have to fight that battle too. But in the meantime I would just work on my career, treat myself with kindness, and be ok with being the big girl with the healthy body image. But I'd accepted that my health would always be an uphill battle.
But then I went back to my "why". And I really evaluated that. Was my "why" more important than my failure? Was my "why" more important than my fear? And every time I looked at my little boy, I realized that, yes, my "why" was waaaaaay more important. So I kept starting over. Three years ago (when that boy had turned 6) I finally got a hold of myself and committed to being consistent. And really made a huge difference. I made some significant changes and created some healthier habits. I lost a significant amount of weight and was able to keep it off. And I kept consistent. And there were bumps. And I would get discouraged, but this time I didn't quit. What was different this time? I had become determined that my "why" was more important than my fear.
This is why I decided to help other people. This is why I decided to start blogging. This is why I decided to start living out loud. Because the more I began to realize that fear was really just about me, and my "why" was bigger than me. It was about my family. It was like I'd finally cracked the code. And if I could do it, then how many other people out there that felt the same fear and discouragement could do it too.
Bottom line. Don't let discouragement derail you. Your goals are bigger than that. Accept that there are bumps in the road. Accept that obstacles will get in the way. Every time you go over a bump, or bust through a road block you grow. You get better. You get closer to your goal. Keep going. Don't quit.
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