We recently emerged from the wilderness after spending three nights in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park. The granite rocks were an incredible sight to see, the water was crystal clear at a temperature ideal for tired feet, and the wildlife wandered around giving us our space to enjoy nature. It was four days that gently nudged me out of my comfort zone just enough to return to civilization feeling more confident in my abilities to do hard things. It was challenging and enjoyable at the same time which reminded me of the habit creation process. Today I’m sharing three friendly reminders from the trail about habit creation. (The photo to the left doesn’t do it justice to the beauty that is Yosemite live in-person!)

Set Up Realistic Expectations

This is a super important one. When we embarked upon our Yosemite journey, I was under the impression that it was going to be a moderately easy hike. I was wrong. The first day was a lot of downhill that was hard on my knees (Scot hiked the same trail in 2020 and gave us a heads up on this). Most of the difficulty for me was carrying a 25-30 pound pack on my back which I was not used to. I trained by doing a few hikes with my pack on prior to this but definitely not enough.

Day two had pretty steep climbs that were really challenging and definitely unexpected. One thing I did not do before this hike was look up the elevation gain for each stretch of the trail. I went on what Scot said which was a mistake on my end. Everyone has different abilities which means the same hike might be hard for someone and even harder for someone else. I was carrying the same amount of weight on my back (give or take 3-5 pounds) as Scot, however, I weight 50 pounds less than him. This is something I did not think about until I was climbing up the switchbacks on day two.

It’s the same with habit creation. A consistent exercise routine is easy for some of my clients and difficult for others. This isn’t necessarily because one client is more committed than another. There’s several variables that are involved in creating consistency. The most common one is schedules. We all have responsibilities outside of simply keeping ourselves alive on a daily basis. We have jobs, pets, kids, and parents to take care of in addition to paying bills, feeding ourselves, sleeping, and relaxing. At times it feels like a never ending juggling act.

If you have a history of struggling to stay consistent with an exercise routine, give yourself grace and brainstorm ideas on how you can overcome the challenges you have control over. From there, you can set up realistic expectations to enable you to celebrate wins along the way.

Remind Yourself Why You’re Doing This

We have a running joke in our friends circle where we question why we’re friends with each other. This is because when we spend time together we don’t just go to a coffee shop or restaurant and hang out. We go on an adventures that includes 30+ mile bike rides, climbing sand dunes, summiting mountains, or 4-day treks through the Yosemite backcountry. Believe it or not, this actually is my idea of fun. With that being said, it doesn’t mean it’s always easy for any of us. During the challenging times, I question my choices and dream about what it would be like to just lay on a beach for week reading a great fiction book and sipping on mimosas. The reality is, that’s not me. I would get really antsy laying around for a week and drive myself (and my husband) crazy. I prefer to challenge challenge myself while getting out in nature.

When you’re super clear on your Why you want to eat more home cooked whole food meals, get to bed at a reasonable time, and move your body frequently, the obstacles some how become easier to overcome. Just about everything you do in your life that’s worth doing and will bring you abundance will have challenges along the way. When you can tap into your emotional Why it’s so much easier for you to power through the challenges and get creative with finding solutions on how to overcome them.

I see this all the time in my clients who are clear on their Why. Our coaching sessions are centered around what’s holding them back from carving out time to make a nutritious meal at home. Often times the solution is obvious like making sure to get to the grocery store on the weekend to stock up on meat and veggies for the week. Other times it’s bit more complicated and involves rearranging schedules and delegating other household tasks to partners. The key is to be so committed to creating the habits that work for you that you almost automatically go into solution mode.

Lean on Your Support System

I’m incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to hike through the beauty that is Yosemite with my hubby and two of our favorite people. With every step I took up the granite staircase on the switchbacks, I felt a wave of “I got this!” just being with three people who are part of my strong support system (and having my trekking pole in hand). When I said out loud “I can’t go any further!” and felt the need to burst into tears, someone would remind me that I could in fact keep moving forward. Looking back at this made a big difference. I felt like I was infused with energy to get to the top of switchbacks.

When a client reaches out to let me know they’re temporarily unable to stick to a fitness routine we previously discussed and asks for suggestions on what to do instead, it’s a reason to celebrate because I know this person is committed to their health and fitness intentions. One of my favorite parts of being a coach is helping my clients brainstorm ideas on how they can find an alternative way to stick to a fitness routine when life happens. There’s multiple ways you can stick to a routine that aren’t necessarily obvious to you so this is why reaching out for support is crucial.

If you’re feeling discouraged by your progress and feel like giving up like I did on the trail, leaning on your support system can shift your mindset into a “I got this!” This is why building a strong support system of people who you know will help you see your value and ability during the times when you can’t see it will set you apart from the people who throw in the towel to early. I talk more about what to do when you feel like giving up in this podcast episode here.

The End of the Trail

Stepping back into civilization after four days on trail I felt a sense of accomplishment. It felt great to get back to indoor plumbing, hot showers, and food that wasn’t freeze dried. Don’t get me wrong. I actually enjoyed unplugging from civilization as it gave me a deeper sense of appreciation for the conveniences of modern life. But I was looking forward to washing the sweat off my body with soap (and washing my hair!) and not just river water. I will say, the river water felt amazing on my skin at the end of a long day and it was super clean water.

The moment you realize you have systems in place to cook nutrient dense meals on demand and get out of bed almost effortlessly to get your workout on, I encourage you to look back at the work you’ve put in to get to this point. It most likely wasn’t always easy and you probably overcame many obstacles, but you did it. While the journey isn’t over and your maintenance section of the “healthy habit trail” has just begun, hopefully you’re feeling more confident in your ability to make even more progress.