On last Tuesday’s live training on consistency and accountability, one of the 4 tools I discussed was patience.

Zzzzzzzzzzz.

I can picture you falling asleep at your computer reading this right now. “Yeah, yeah, Jill, patience. Got it, thanks! But there’s also this cleanse detox starting on Monday that I want to do!”

We don’t really get it. I didn’t for a long time. I used to live for programs. I have old journals with my notes about my “diet start date” and old homemade calendars I created in MICROSOFT EXCEL with literally—I kid you not—15 minute chunks blocked out for things like “wash dishes” and “write grocery list.” I had to schedule time to write a food list!

Control freak, much?

But that’s the whole point. I said this on the call too: we often use our bodies to control our lives. If we can juuuuuuust control how we look, then we are okay. We’ll be accepted and worthy and adequate, right? RIGHT? If we can just control what goes in our mouths enough, then that means we are good.

It’s not that thinking about your physique or about your nutrition is bad – it’s an amazing pursuit – but you have to ask, what’s the intention behind it?

And I believe this is where all the urgency comes from. The need to control.

We want to be able to hurry up and have it all together and have all the answers so that we can be okay.

And control is not only an illusion, but it’s the opposite of trust. Which is what patience and sustainability is founded on!

Years ago, I had a woman email me and write, “Can you help me get down to 10% body fat over the next 3 months and then just help me maintain that?”

Well, we can have a discussion all day about the physiological healthiness of maintaining 10% body fat as a woman, but what about this mindset?

I think we have all, on some level, felt the pull to fast results. Of course we have. If someone has something that promises quick and easy, we want it, it’s irresistible. And I am certainly guilty of the IT’S NOT HAPPENING FAST ENOUGH mentality, in whatever outcome.

But I feel like in this way, the fitness and health industry does us all a disservice by perpetuating the idea that we can achieve sustainable results using unsustainable means to get there.

I remember one of my competitions, the day of the show, my feet were literally BLEEDING in my plastic 6 inch heels because of the amount of running and cardio I had been doing during prep. I got down to my leanest ever, loved the way I looked, and then was devastated when I couldn’t maintain it. BUT HOW COULD I?

I was following some random meal plan, doing a ton of cardio, cutting calories like crazy all because I needed to attain a specific look for one day. Yes, competing can be amazing, but not when you use unsustainable approaches to achieve it, and then think that somehow it will be a sustainable outcome.

It’s a huge mindfuck actually. And is the reason I started working smarter, not harder and moved to more mindset education and personal development.

Because if I say I want to be 10% body fat, what I really mean is that I want to feel confident and happy in my body. Perfect. But can you see a scenario where you get to be happy and confident right this second? Is controlling how lean and fit we are really going to solve that if we don’t do any of the internal work on our perception of the process and how we view ourselves?

Which brings me to patience.

If the goal is sustainable health, fitness and fat loss, one of the most important tools is learning to stick things out when others quit (or when you would normally quit). That’s it. Stick shit out longer, but only the things you say you want, like a healthy, fit body.

Patience requires you expect the ups and downs.

Patience requires you expect that life is going to get in the way.

Patience requires you not try to be perfect, because being a little less perfect helps you be a little more consistent.

Patience requires resiliency, and practicing self-compassion because baby, you are not going to get it right every time.

Patience is one of the hardest virtues to hone.

So I have to ask: WHAT IS THE HURRY.

Think about it. You and I have been yo-yo dieting and program-hopping for 5, 10, 20 years! What’s a single year in the grand scheme of things if you dedicate that time to understanding yourself.

Patience requires you do the tough stuff. The things people who are going from meal plan to coach to meal plan won’t do, which is educating yourself IN YOU--your metabolism, your likes and dislikes, honing your mindset and the way you interact with food and exercise, trial and error and dusting yourself off when things doing go perfectly.

Things like changing your habits and learning about yourself—these things don’t happen overnight. You don't learn everything about yourself and the process in 2 seconds and then are good to go. That's a fantasy.

Sure, there are strategies and tools that can get us there faster, but for sustainable body change, health outcomes and consistency with your fit lifestyle, you have to be ready to strap in for the long haul.

Gimme a year.

Do the work.

Get to know you.

Commit to the process.

Let me see your resiliency.

Because at the end of the day, sustainability comes down to actually enjoying how you do things.

You can’t create sustainable results using unsustainable tactics.

The 12-month Total Training Experience is now open for enrollment. The year-long program begins September 1^st and is a complete exercise, nutrition and mindset solution.

Registration closes tomorrow so be sure to grab your spot now. Doesn’t open again until August 2016!

ENROLL IN THE TTE HERE

Let me know if you have any questions!

Xo,
Jill