What keeps you going when you don't get the results you want?

Have you found yourself reaching for a goal and then not getting the results you want?

I have found myself there and I can appreciate the frustration that comes with doing all you can and feel like you’re not making progress.

On my recent holiday to the Lake District, as Rob and I tackled a wood fire hot tub, the need to keep going became apparent! Now we have never come across a wood-fired hot tub but as we have a log fire at home, we thought no problem, we can solve this. We were given a bag of logs and kindling and off we went. Fire lit as soon as we arrived and we thought, great in 2 hours we will be sitting enjoying the beauty of the Lake District from the warmth of the hot tub.

2 hours came and went and the tub was still cold, we kept building the fire after it went out and then after it didn’t seem to be producing much heat! 2 hours later we thought we’d give it a go! I got in only to get straight back out! Yes, this is coming from the girl who likes cold water swimming but I expected that I was going to be stepping into a warm hot tub. Rob was braver than I and had a cold dip.

The next morning, we tried again. Fire built, with the hope to have a dip before a day of walking. Again, after two hours, another bag of logs and rebuilding the fire again, we found it was still cold. We decided to go out for a walk and hoped it would be warm enough when we came back! But sadly, it wasn’t! We attempted a short dip, huddled under the brolly as the rain came down!

Starting to feel defeated we sought out help but the person we asked had no idea what to do! Another bag of logs and we were at the last attempt! Then the fire seemed to take and the heat got to the point that the hot tub was now too hot! We enjoyed a dip before becoming slightly boiled!

The next night we hit the sweet spot! Another fire and this time the heat was perfect. We sat enjoying the stars and the beautiful scenery feeling proud of our perseverance and hard work!

We hit our goal of enjoying a lovely warm hot tub but we were so close to giving up! In those moments when it feels like nothing is working and you’re nowhere near reaching your goal, here are my tips to help you stay focused and motivated;

1. Manage your expectations.

Sometimes you need to take a step back and ask yourself have I been realistic about the goal set and the time frame to do it in? I was unrealistic in expecting the water to be warm in such a short time frame.

Perhaps you have set a goal of cooking from scratch every evening, in the space of a month but you’ve never cooked from scratch before. When you set too big a goal, you’re more likely to not achieve it. When you break down your goal into manageable chunks, you’re more likely to get there.

2. Celebrate the small wins.

Track what you’re doing and what you are achieving. Don’t just celebrate when you get to the end but celebrate each step. Rob and I kept celebrating every time the fire kept lit!

3. Gain support.

When you have support you are more likely to find encouragement to keep going. This could be family, friends or a support network. As Rob and I cheered each other on to keep the fire going it helped us to not get to discouraged!

4. Think of the final goal.

Visualise and see yourself reaching the goal you have set for yourself. Feel yourself in that space, consider what you will look like and what you will be saying. Seeing myself sitting in a warm hot tub kept me going when it felt like it would never happen!

5. Have grace for yourself.

Sometimes you can do everything right and it’s just a case of time. Keep doing what you can and trust the process.

If your needing a deeper dive and support in prioritising your health then let's talk. You'd be welcome to join me for a free 30-minute call where we can talk through ways to get you started and how Nutritional Therapy can support you.