Hi, I’m Kris Stokes with Custom Fitness Personal Training Studio in Amarillo, TX. I was scrolling through some old pictures recently on one of our 100 degree days and found some pictures of my oldest daughter when she was around 3 years old. It had snowed that year, alot. She had learned how to keep her balance while walking in knee high drifts and how to flop down to make snow angels but as I looked at those pictures, I remembered the most profound thing she learned that year, how to make a snowball.
I remember she was outside playing with her daddy as he scooped up a pile of snow and shaped it into a ball and threw it at her knees. She was so surprised! She knelt down to do the same but as she scooped up a tiny amount of snow in her very tiny hands, she couldn’t figure out how to make it stick together.
This led to great frustration but then her dad came over to show her how. He showed her how to scoop the snow up and how to mold it by squeezing tight to form a ball. She thought that was great but when she compared it to his snowball, it was much too small in her mind.
She kept at it and he showed her how to layer on a small amount at a time and then squeeze some more to keep making it bigger. Of course at 3 years old, sometimes she squeezed too tight and it fell apart.
I promise I didn’t lead you down memory lane for my own benefit today. Rather, as I was looking at these pictures and remembering how this story went, it made me think of a new client I had worked with the day before that was having a hard time understanding why with her past efforts she hadn’t made progress at the rate she wanted to and sometimes not at all. This led her “back to square 1” if you will and had her at a point of great frustration.
When she decided to work with our team at Custom Fitness, she expressed her goals and hopes of how and when she would reach them. We talked about habits, behaviors, choices, and effort amongst other things and she was excited…but she was still a bit timid in thinking she could actually reach her goals.
Maybe you’ve been there. Wondering when the fat will melt off, when your strength or muscle tone will return, when you’ll be able to balance well enough to put your pants on standing up or even when you’ll be flexible enough to reach your shoes to tie them again.
Here’s the thing, it’s like the snow ball. You start with making a decision to change- that’s scooping up the snow. Then you apply some effort – that’s when you squeeze the snow to shape it. For some people, that’s all it takes, a decision and a little effort, but for most, that’s just the beginning.
For that group of people, they then have to begin layering in an effective exercise plan that will enhance and benefit their health rather than tear it down- a little more snow. Then an effective nutrition plan that will FUEL, not deprive their bodies – a little more snow. Then a strong support system that will help hold them accountable to their goals – a little more snow. And so on.
See, it’s not just the initial effort it takes persistence and time to create our masterpiece. And sometimes we may try to run before we can walk and end up crushing our snowball, leaving us with a pile of powder in our hands again. Then, it’s time to start over, using what we’ve learned from previous failures to begin anew and make this time better.
It’s only through the repetition of adding small layers, one on top of the other (new habits one on top of the other) that our snowball will begin to grow. And if it’s a snowman you’re wanting to build, then it’s time to get to work.
If you feel like you need a little extra support, you need some guidance, you need a plan, feel free to give us a call. 806-322-3188. Our team would love to help you. Remember that we focus on exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle. We put all of it together so this can become a lifelong change for you instead of something to just bounce to and get setback from. I hope you have a great day.