How To Reach Your Fitness Goals

By Samantha Fox Olson

OK, it’s February and chances are you have fallen short of continuing forth in your New Year’s resolution with the same enthusiasm and drive you had the first two weeks of January.

Statistically, more people are making New Year’s resolutions about weight loss and fitness goals than anything else. And guess what, by February, close to 40 percent of those enthusiasts flat-out give up. What does this fuel inside of us? Those subconscious limiting beliefs of feeling not-good-enough, incapable and unworthy.

Sadly, many people actually blame their bodies for this lack of follow through. These beliefs (they hang out more in the foreground of our awareness) sound more like:

• My body does not work right.
• My body does not cooperate with me.
• My body is against me.
• My body is simply doomed for mediocrity and lacks all ability for everlasting, uplifting transformation.

Sound familiar? If you have indeed set a goal to get in shape, become stronger, leaner, healthier and/or more energetic, and you have given up on your birthright bliss to become just that, then indeed there is something going on. But let me cut right to the great news:

You are not doomed. Your body indeed desires to shine. Your body is a miracle and holds within each of its trillions of cells immense potential!

So what is the secret to everlasting growth and expansion when we are committed to make a change?

The secret is to bring to life, time and time again, your DEEPEST WHY behind why you set your fitness goals in the first place. Rekindling and revisiting that WHY is what creates potent momentum every time.

When you connect to that WHY it is of great value to embody the emotions and feelings that come up when you tap into your wellspring of inspiring, action-creating fuel.

You can use these WHYs when you are feeling low energy, unenthusiastic and unmotivated. More than likely when you are feeling that lack of luster to go after your dreams your WHY has been placed in a very superficial layer of what is really possible for you.

Learning how to tap into your DEEPER WHYs is where it is! This is where you will shift from frustration to excitement, unmotivated to enthusiastic, doubtful to optimistic and even dreading your next challenging workout to craving it joyfully.

There are actually two deep layers of your WHY (psst… they go way beyond a superficial WHY of wanting a firm back side and sexy six-pack abs) that, when you tap into them, will allow you to be unstoppable when it comes to blasting through the challenges you will no doubt face in reaching any goal. I want to share these two layers with you. I want to share all the layers with you and help you access your fire!

But before I do let me make a quick note that the superficial WHYs (like wanting to lose 20 pounds or wanting to trim your waistline) are goals that may get you going and that is great. Use those goals for the purpose of which they will serve you. Know them, get clear with them, but know they probably will not keep you in the game with longevity and endurance, and there is so much more fun to be had when you dig deeper.

And because I want this for you, because I want to see you skipping playfully into the direction of your wildest fitness goals, I want you to contemplate these two layers:

1. How will attaining this fitness goal help you grow spiritually?
2. In attaining this fitness goal, how will you be of greater contribution to this world?

Samantha Fox Olson

OK, so there is one more secret to using the formula above. Are you gnawing at the bit to know what it is? If so, then I applaud your desire and I acknowledge there is something burning inside of you that is ready.

Here it is: Revisit your WHYs, your DEEPEST WHYs over and over again. Connect to them when you don’t want to put on your sneakers, when you are believing the lie you don’t have time to roll out your yoga mat or when you are in the middle of a kick-butt squat set and you want to give up before the timer rings.

Do this and I promise you will find a wild strength and a spirit of perseverance within you every time. Because you, my friend, have dreams with a desire and a purpose. And you, my friend, have everything you need inside of you and your miraculous body to bring them to fruition!

• Samantha Fox Olson host retreats and teaches yoga and fitness on the North Shore of Kaua‘i and online. Visit http://kauaiyogaandfitness.com or www.facebook.com/onlineyogaandfitnes to stretch beyond your fitness goals.