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I’ll put my hand up and admit to subscribing to all of the 4 Common Patterns Keeping You STUCK that I’m covering in todays show… at some point I have – and to a degree I still do – let these oh-so-common patterns stop me from achieving my goals.

I’m guessing YOU do too.

One of the things that keeps me utterly fascinated by the body gain game, is observing the patterns that for better or worse lead to our results.

The funny thing is I tend to attract clients that demonstrate the same limiting patterns I have – or do – battle too.

So without further a-do lets power on with pattern #1…

One: Dichotomous Pattern.

You may have met this person… the ZEBRA, they are black or white. Zero shades of grey. Love OR Hate.

The “I’m running every single day” chick and the “yeah I’m not into exercise right now” chick.

Or, as I was “ALL salads are boring” and “ALL cardio is excruciatingly-hard-and-tediously-boring”

The thing with black or white is, it limits your options. Big time. And, when consistency is key in the body gain game a dichotomous pattern

is really going to keep you stuck.

How to break free from Dichotomy?

A) It can be useful to make yourself aware of the shades of grey that DO exist in your life and that ARE beneficial.

The less hateful cardio… the enjoyable salads… perhaps the chick that runs a couple of times a week and sticks with it consistently.

B) I also found it helpful to have my close friends ‘call’ me on my love : hate tendencies. Just to bring it to my attention that perhaps my level of extreme was not serving me so well and that perhaps it is possible to merely dislike or to prefer not or even to be indifferent on occasion.

Two: Perfectionist Pattern.

I absolutely used to do this. I studied Fine Arts, majoring in painting and drawing – because that’s the perfect degree for a career in personal training and body gain right? My lecturers would ask if I was painting with my nose as I’d get so close to my picture. No brush was too small for the detail I wanted. In fact I even used toothpicks at times…

When it came to life drawing our male models liked my tenancy to perfectionism. They also seemed to appreciate the creative licence I took to enhancing their muscle mass… perhaps this was a precursor to my move to personal training?!

How to break free from Perfectionism?

A) Admit that as my all time most fav artist in the world Salvador Dali said: “Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it.” and understand that if you hold tight to perfectionism you will NEVER achieve that goal, that body, that career… that whatever you’re seeking. It just won’t happen. At some point you need to boldly step forward before you can even see the finish line… the stepping forward is what allows the next steps to become visible.

B) Seek out the non-perfect examples produced by the people you now look up to. At some point they started waaay-less-than-perfect. I guarantee it. However, if you insist on comparing where you are at the beginning of your journey to where they are now at mastery level it’s going to be the perfect excuse to stay stuck in perfectionism.

Three: Information Gathering Pattern.

How good does it feel to gather information? To attend the seminars, buy the books, enrol in the courses and carefully gather everything you need for that ONE-big-life-changing push. That won’t ever happen.

There has never been a time of greater information abundance. The last thing most of us need is more information. How about just implementing 5% of what you’ve already consuming and moved beyond?

Most of it’s all reworked-rehashed-regugitated anyway right

The danger – beyond inaction – with information gathering is that tendency to take a little bit of this and a little bit of that and come up with a half hearted ineffective bit of not much.

There will never be a perfect approach, program, time or star alignment.

How to break free from Information Gathering?

A) Set yourself a non-negotiable deadline.

B) Decide on a mentor to follow, until that non-negotiable deadline and keep them and more-so YOU the curtesy of sticking with that one approach

for the duration without racing off after the next shiny object that will flash enticingly at you.

Four: Looking For The Catch Pattern.

To look for the catch is to focus on the reasons why someone else – someone that has what you’re looking to have or has achieved what you’re looking to achieve – has it easier than you, or even more-so just has/had a different set of circumstances to deal with than you.

It could even be the Zero to Hero fairy-tale you can’t relate too.

Or maybe the fact that they are younger, richer, prettier, better connected.

Whatever ever it is, it’s the “I can’t because….” card. So, that’s really the BIg Fat Excuse card.

How to break free from Looking For The Catch?

A) Hunt down the “I CAN because…” angle. It exists. It’s just a matter of seeking out those parts of what this person does that are applicable to you and your lifestyle.

B) Consciously implement the “I CAN…” examples. Whether it’s as simple as:

=> I can get up at 5am.

=> I can take my lunches to work.

=> I can be that chick that only eats my most absolute favourite of any treat food… not any random processed-crap-o-la just because it’s on offer.

It all counts.

To get actionable today I’d love you to pick the common pattern that most jumps out at you as keeping you stuck so far as your health goal.

Are you Dichotomous? A Perfectionist? An Information Gatherer? Or perhaps you Look For The Catch?

Give the 2 simple steps I’ve provided for the pattern you chose a go and I’d love to hear how it works for you in the comments below.

That’s it for today… in tomorrows Thursday Training show it’s time to: Farewell Flabby Thighs.

I hope you can join me.

If you liked this you’ll also like: First tackle the Cause behind your Behaviours to avoid weight loss frustration (5 Logical Levels of Change).

If you’re yet to share the Healthification love – just click here to zip over to iTunes and leave an honest rating and review. It’d help me out big time. With gratitude, Kate.