The first rule in dealing with setbacks is accepting that there are going to be setbacks.
That’s just reality.
That image of perfection you have in your head, the one where you are eating right all the time and effortlessly crushing workouts, forget it. It’s an illusion. Your mind is lying to you.
Progress is never linear. It’s always a process filled with both ups and downs.
There are going to be times when you have aches and pains. When you have injuries. When you can’t do what you want to do. There are going to be times when your nutrition goes off track. That’s life. It happens.The question is “What do you do when that happens?”
Setbacks are discouraging. Too often, when people get discouraged, they quit. They give up. They only see the short term. Only see failure.
But it’s not failure. It’s a setback. BIG difference.
Failure is absolute… and rare. Too often, what people see as failure is really a setback. A setback is part of the process. A bump in the road. An inevitable part of the journey toward success.
A successful fitness journey isn’t about perfect progress. It’s about how you navigate struggles, obstacles and setbacks. It’s about taking a big picture view. Playing the long game. It’s about how you didn’t quit. How you didn’t lose sight of your goal, even when life pushed back.
Sure, there will be detours and times when your progress is slowed. But even those are part of your consistent march toward progress. Don’t lose sight of that.