F.E.A.R.

False Evidence Appearing Real – a popular acronym for the word fear. You might be wondering why it’s being brought up in this month’s health and fitness article. Well, it could be exactly what’s holding you back from achieving your goals including health & fitness.

Have you found yourself yet again, wondering why you still haven’t found a healthy groove?

Feeling stale with your current routine? Not exactly where you thought you’d be at this point? Wondering what else is out there?

From life to work to fitness you have goals (if you don’t that’s the first problem, get them written down). Next you should have an action plan. Finally it’s time to take action, right?

If you stop and think or look back on your life, how much of your success is based on taking risks? And how much more is based on doing only what you are sure of and staying away from what you fear? It’s time to start living outside the box and face you fears. But how?

First you must understand what fear is. That’s where the acronym comes into play. You have to realize that the things that scare you and make you hesitate could be false. All too often you allow yourself and others to get into your head. Whether it’s something you’ve never experienced or something someone you know has had a negative experience with, you could be creating a false situation, making it appear real.

What is real you have to find out for yourself. And the longer you contemplate your decision the more anxiety you will develop. Once you can agree that most of your fears are entirely made up and can be overcome, you can move on. So, what is it you wish you had done to this point in 2018? Where did you see yourself being by this time? What do you really want?

Answer these questions and you’ll find a way. A good approach to get you motivated is to surround yourself with like-minded people. A community will always provide accountability and support to get over your fear. Many people fear the simplest step, starting, whether it’s a goal for finding a new job or starting a workout routine. Making a change or doing something new always seems to be intimidating because of the F.E.A.R. you’ve developed in your mind. Less thinking and more doing is the best philosophy. You don’t know what the outcome will be unless you submerse yourself into a situation.

There is no right or wrong decision, there is simply a decision. If it doesn’t work out, move on and make another decision. If it does work out, then be glad you followed your gut. The more you practice stepping outside of your comfort zone the less fear you will develop. If you don’t overcome your fear by trying, at least you’ve learned something about yourself which means you’ve built confidence to try the next thing.

So, I ask you again, what is your biggest fear? What is holding you back from BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) that you set for 2018? Why haven’t you tried that gym your friend told you about? You’ve got nothing to lose but the time you would’ve enjoyed your results had you started sooner. Time to take that leap! Don’t worry about the outcome; think about what you could have instead.

Fit It In runs the fourth Sunday of the month. Danielle Tetreault is a personal trainer and the owner of Fit It In Fitness and is always available for a free fitness assessment. She can be reached at fititinpt@hotmail.com, or visit her website at www.fititintraining.com.

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