What if summer in Upstate New York suddenly turned to Fall and on September 21st, all the leaves on the trees changed color overnight?

That’s just not how the seasons work. They transition.

Humans have one of the longest transitions from infant to full grown adult in the animal kingdom. About 1/4 of our life is spent growing up.

But when it comes to personal change, we want things to happen overnight. If our life is off course, we expect some self-help guru to bring us to “life-changing moments” to turn the ship around immediately.

But that’s not how things work. Our life is full of changes and most of these changes happen over time in transitions. They include:

• aging
• education and career
• personal finance
• psychological and social development
• health and fitness

Speaking of health and fitness…

People come to us looking to lose weight and they want results “yesterday”, even though it took several years to put the weight on.

It may be possible to drop the weight in a few short months, but quick changes like this beg the questions:

• Did the change consider what is practical for you? Did it consider what you like and how you got to where you are in the first place?
• Is the change practical considering the long term? Are you going to continue to just drink high protein smoothies the rest of your life? Will you be able to continue doing exercise you abhor for the rest of your life?

Simply put, is the quick change the best way to change for you?

Just because the change you made got you to the goal you wanted – like losing 20 lbs – in a short time doesn’t mean it will be something sustainable. Your goal should include finding something you enjoy or can maintain for the rest of your life. The long term success of your program is determined not by how you do 3 months from now, but by how well you do a year or two from now.

And from the data, the shorter it takes to achieve big personal goals, the less likely you are to stick to the plan. That’s because it takes time to establish habits that stick.

The key to a successful fitness program, as you may have guessed, is in the design of a realistic transition.

Effective transitioning, whether for personal growth, personal finances or fitness, requires you to take a look at your current state and identify in detail where you are at. You examine the good things you do and the behaviors that need to change.

Once you’ve established where you are at, you can establish your vision of where you want to be. This is the future state – and it’s the hard part.

Your future state needs to be practical and at the same time achieve the goals you see for yourself. I STRONGLY recommend getting outside assistance to help you objectively establish a realistic, future state for yourself.

For your future state goals, outside assistance could include your primary care provider, a physical therapist and/or a personal trainer. You can use tools such as SMART goals to establish where you want to end up.

Once you understand your current state and envision your future state, you can map out your journey. Once again, use your outside help and establish short term SMART goals.

And WRITE IT ALL DOWN – where are you now (current), where are you going (future), and how you will get there (map).

Sound like a lot of work? Much easier to just down those protein smoothies and go to some exercise classes. You’ll drop the weight in no time and you’ll be fielding all the compliments on how good you look.

But what happens when all the weight comes back and everyone gets real quiet regarding your transition back to the way you were or worse…

Do it right this time around. Accept that transition is a way of life and is the proper way to implement change. Talk to some experts and take the time to map out an effective journey that will leave you feeling great and making steady progress!

The best fitness and personal growth programs are set up this way – to help you transition into the person you want to be with no quick fix. The easiest and best way to start the process is to hire a knowledgeable personal trainer. They will make sure your program is customized to provide you with a safe and effective journey to your future state.

Recognize that the journey is a path of patience. It will take time to develop habits that will stick for a lifetime.

And stay away from the quick fixes this time around. I am not saying the “quick fix” programs don’t have merit. Your history is a part of your journey. Each time you tried something, you learned something. Take that with you..

And then take pleasure in the journey! Don’t stress out about the end game. Stay in the present and focus on the positives of staying on track and feeling good.

If you need someone to join your healthcare team, give Barb or me a call.

Ron