Fit For Life: Sometimes It’s Important NOT to do Something

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Matt Espeut, GoLocalWorcester Health +Lifestyle Contributor

Sometimes it’s more important NOT to do something, rather than do something.

We need to program our minds to think positive and stop the negative mindset in order to grow and improve.

By changing a few habits and eliminating some negative thoughts you will find it to be an effective way to accomplish your journey and reach your goals.

Here are a few words and sayings that you need to eliminate from your vocabulary.

Lose these words and you will start progressing forward and stop the mind from going to a negative place and get on that path to success.

1) I can’t: this is the biggest cop out that you can say to yourself. Whenever there is a task that you think you can't accomplish, realize that if others can do it, why can't you? My philosophy is that when someone does something that you think you can't it's because they wanted it more, they aren't better than you. So, if you want something in life: health or wealth, you need to develop an I can attitude and go after it.

2) But I am trying. This is just another way of saying I am not succeeding at something. I am trying to lose weight, or I am trying to find a job. There are many ways to lose weight, and there is always someone hiring.

If you are truly trying, you will be using the term I am doing, because when you give something a true all-out effort, you will achieve your task and the term "I'm trying “won’t need to be said.

3)"I am waiting for … or I’ll do it after”

Waiting for what? You can't wait. And why after. How about now!! I will start "after" my kids are in school/ the first of the year/ my friend’s wedding/ the summer. Keep waiting, or saying “after”, and the day will never come, or you will wish you started sooner.

Why can't you get started now, then you will have a head start to whenever "after" will occur. "I am waiting" for someone to call me back/until my friend can join me/to hear back from an employer /until I can join a gym. These are stall tactics and will hold you back from your accomplishments.

I have found that over the years, the only way to get things done and accomplish anything is to take action and physically do the task that needs to be done.

Unless you have the capacity to delegate to others, you need to take action yourself.

Thinking about it and gathering good ideas isn't enough. When it comes to health and fitness you need to take the initiative, get moving and start eating properly.

You can't have someone else do that for you. Even those that come to Providence Fit Body Boot Camp and get coached by a team of professionals, still have to supply some drive, desire, and discipline.

But there are lots of steps to success, and sometimes life gets in the way, and even though you know what it will take to get there, we encounter distractions and psychological road blocks that slow our process.

Do not wait on anyone or anything. This is just a procrastination technique. If you are waiting for something that's important to you, you will either follow up or get started on your own.

Human nature proves that when we want something bad enough we react not wait. Lose the term I am waiting from your vocabulary, and you will be surprised how fast you can move forward when you are not standing around waiting.

So, try to consciously stop saying “I can’t”, because you can.

“I’m trying” because if you were trying hard enough you would be doing.

“I’m waiting”, because waiting will get you nowhere but behind.

Take action today and see how far ahead you will get with whatever goal your mind creates,

Committed to your success,

Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitnesss consultant for over 25 years. He is the owner of Fitness Profiles, a one on one, and small group personal training company, as well as Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, located at 1284 North Main St., on the Providence/Pawtucket line. You can reach Matt at (401) 453-3200; on Facebook at "Matt Espeut", and on Twitter at @MattEspeut. "We’re all in this life together – let’s make it a healthy one.

Related Slideshow: The 7 Best Health and Fitness Apps

Here is a list of some of the most obsession worthy health apps.

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MapMyRun

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Made for iPhone, Android and Blackberry

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MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal seems to be the clear favorite amongst everyone polled. It is helpful not only for the fitness tracking aspect, but everyone polled mentioned how much they loved the food/diet aspect as well. From carb counting for diabetics to recipe ideas to complement your fitness goals, users love this app.

Made for iPhone and Android

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JeFit

JeFit is another fitness app that has rave reviews. It not only tracks progress for you, but offers a huge database of workouts. While many apps offer community support, JeFit allows you to sync workouts with friends who use the app, offering a (real) virtual buddy system.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Strava

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Made for iPhone and Android

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YogaStudio

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Made for iPhone only

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SimplyBeing

SimplyBeing meditation app offers the best of both worlds. You can choose to run this app as a background for your meditation with soothing music or natural sounds that run for a set amount of time. Conversely, for those of you who have trouble focusing during meditation, you can choose a soothing voice-guided meditation.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Fooducate

Fooducate is an app all about educating people so that they make healthier food choices. Although not perfect, this app is easy to use (you can even take pictures of bar codes to instantly find foods in their database). It gives food a letter grade, tells you the pluses and minuses, and gives you better ranked alternatives. You can also use it as a weight loss tool by tracking your daily calories.

Made for iPhone and Android