Wellfie Wednesday Tip #56: Planning for... Failure?

Happy #WellfieWednesday friends!

     This week’s tip is all about planning. I know in previous posts we’ve talked about meal planning and routine planning but this is a little different. Today’s tip is about planning for failure.

     Wait...what? But this is #WellfieWednesday, where we share tips on crushing our goals and pushing our limits...why would we plan for FAILURE?

     The keyword here is planning (which is not to be confused with expecting) because realistically making life changes can be hard and sometimes we can all make mistakes. Mistakes and failure are a part of the learning process. Preparing for them in advance can not only soften the blow when they happen, but also prevent a speed bump from turning into a downward spiral that overshadows all of the positive progress that has been made.

     Common example: You start a new eating plan and it’s going great. You’re about a week in when suddenly your willpower is tempted by something that’s restricted on the plan, let’s say some ice cream. In a moment of weakness you take a bite and BAM diet is ruined → all progress is lost → might as well finish the whole pint → wallow in guilt the rest of the night. Rinse and repeat.

     The reality is that first bite of ice cream probably didn’t derail your whole diet…but setting your expectations too high probably did.

“The imperfect method you follow is better than the perfect method you quit.” Tim Ferriss

     Translation: eat some damn ice cream once in awhile if you want to! Just get back on track ASAP and focus on making progress toward your goals. Celebrate the small victories along the way and use them as momentum to keep pushing forward. PLAN for failure, do not EXPECT it. Expecting to fail is counterproductive and leads to apathy, indifference, and ultimately (wait for it…) failure!

     Expect to succeed, but plan for failure. As always, thanks for reading. And be sure to tag the WW crew members in your post (@PBernerSPT, @Eric_in_AmERICa, @AaronPerezPT, @DianaKlatt) and keep the wave of healthy change going!

- WW Crew