Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably knew it was Amazon Prime Day earlier this week.  I started thinking about how Amazon has affected every aspect of our lives - including our fitness goals. And I don’t mean that necessarily in a good way. Sure, you can use Amazon Halo fitness bands and Amazon Video for some exercise routines. . .but I mean, I think the mindset around instant gratification is ruining your fitness goals. 

What’s so bad about instant gratification?

We’ve become accustomed to a culture built on Amazon and the Internet and all things like it. We can have whatever we want right now. Right? We don't have to wait three to five days for shipping anymore. We don't have to wait for someone to mail us something. We can get it right this minute. Do you want to find out where someone is? Track them. Do you want to know an answer? Ask Alexa.  Our brains are starting to be conditioned to getting what they want, what we want right away. Instant gratification over and over and over.  The more we value instant gratification, the more we are distracted from more meaningful, longterm goals.

So when it comes to our health and fitness, and we start working to change our bodies, our brains wonder, “Why is this not happening? As in, RIGHT NOW!?!” 

Unfortunately, our bodies are not built for Amazon. They are not made for speed or quick change.



Instead, sustainable change is a slow-moving train. 

That's why many of these programs, like the 30-Day Cleanse or Detox, or Magic Potion, don’t have a lasting impact. You may and probably will have success in those 30 days because you’ve radically cut out the nutritional needs of your body.  But what happens over the following 30 days? Or 30 weeks? Or 30 years? That’s what we need to talk about. And while it seems amazing to be able to completely transform your body in a matter of days, it's not going to bring you what you want. 

• You want to feel better.
• You want more energy. 
• You want to look better.
• You want to be able to be active with your kids. 

That doesn't happen in 30 days. It doesn't even happen in 60 days. Sometimes we're talking 90 days or more to start having any kind of success. Lasting change in your body takes time. 

Sustainable Self Care

I built my program, Self-Care for Female Leaders around the concept of Sustainable Self-Care and incorporating the three prongs of nutrition, exercise, and mindset together. They aren't independent of one another. And each piece takes time to learn and incorporate into your lifestyle. But I promise, once they are in place, you will get lasting results you can fall back on again and again, and they will serve you your entire life. It's not a quick fix; it's a healthy way of life that you are in control of.

How do you practice delayed gratification?

So how do you decide how do you do it? 

How do you get past this frustration? 

1.Make a list of what you've done toward  your goal

When you start to feel frustrated, I want you to make a list on a piece of paper (or in your phone, if that's your jam) of five things that have changed for you positively in a positive direction. 

Examples of this would be that you started drinking more water or that you made exercise a priority.

Choose things you have done - not results you have gotten. Remember, part of your frustration is that you don’t see those quick instant gratification results. So remind yourself that you are moving in a positive direction.

2. Congratulate your accomplishments

Next, congratulate yourself. Give yourself a little high five or whatever for doing those things. Sometimes we get so lost thinking, ‘I'm not there yet. I haven't achieved that result yet.’ that you lose focus. Remember the words you choose are important, you deserve to choose the best version of you. Don’t get caught up in the false thinking that you’re a failure and forget to pay attention to all the awesome stuff you've done along the way. 

You know what? It’s true: you're not Amazon. Your body doesn't work on Amazon time. That works on your time. Slow and steady. wins the race. 

You've got to build sustainable, healthy lifestyle over time, habits. practices, all of that every single day is what builds up to that huge success at the end of the road. You're not going to get it all at once. 

We all need to practice patience and grace in delayed gratification. 

So love yourself. 

Be patient with yourself. 

If you're frustrated, find five things that you've done well that are moving you in the right direction. Write them down and congratulate yourself on the steps you are taking. And if you need support in identifying the steps to take, contact me, and we will get your journey started together.