The All-or-Nothing Mindset
SCENARIO A: You've been working super diligently at eating healthier. You are all-in for two full weeks, feeling energetic and proud of yourself for sticking with it. Then life happens, you get side tracked a day or two, and you think, "That's it. I failed. Might as well enjoy my weekend and start over again on Monday."
SCENARIO B: You've worked out diligently 3-4 times per week for the past month, but life gets hectic, you miss a few workouts, and you feel like you've failed and maybe this whole fitness thing just isn't for you after all.
Can you relate to these scenarios? They represent the all-or-nothing mindset at play. You're either ALL IN or you're ALL OUT, with no happy in-between. Perfection equals success; imperfection equals failure. This mindset is one of the most common things that my clients battle in both fitness and nutrition... and yet, that squishy in-between zone is actually the ideal spot.
Here are a few tips on breaking the all-or-nothing mentality:
Give yourself compassion. If your best friend told you, "I'm a failure because I missed my workouts this week," I bet for sure you'd have some encouraging words to share like, "No, you're not a failure at all! You've been doing great and you'll find your groove again." That's the same grace you should extend to YOU!
Celebrate the wins! What went right? What did you do well? Focus on that, allow yourself to celebrate it. Maybe you missed your workouts this week, BUT you got in extra steps. Celebrate those extra steps! There's always a win hidden in there somewhere.
Consider adjusting your goals. Maybe you keep diverging from your goals because they were too lofty to begin with. Maybe your life circumstances have changed and you'll need to pivot those goals to where you're at right now. If the goal isn't appropriate, it's hard to keep reaching for it. Everything evolves, including our goals.
Additional resources:
Podcast: Mind Over Macros, episode #303 from May 30, 2022, titled “Breaking the All or Nothing Mindset with Amanda Nighbert”
Podcast: The Jordan Syatt Mini Podcast, episode from July 22, 2020 titled “How to Lose Weight WITHOUT an ‘All or Nothing’ Mindset (Lauren’s Story)”
Podcast: The Jordan Syatt Mini Podcast, episode from April 7, 2022 titled “How to Maintain Your Weight Loss and Lose the All or Nothing Mentality - Laura’s Story”
Questions for you to ponder: Do you fall into the all-or-nothing mindset trap? How do you see this come up in your own life? What will you do differently next time the success/failure dichotomy flares up?
