“I feel like I’m failing at something that should be easy.”

I want to tell you about something a client said to me recently, because I think a lot of people quietly feel this way:

“I had difficulty ​lose weight​ my entire adult life. I feel like I’m failing at something that should be easy.

If you’ve ever struggled to get in shape, you may have the same feeling.

This can sneak in and make it personal.

As You are the problem. Like “if I just had more willpower” things would be better.

But here’s the problem:

You don’t fail at something that should be easy.

You’re trying hard to do something that’s difficult for almost everyone.

And this distinction makes all the difference.

The shift

When you zoom out and look at the actual evidence, getting in shape isn’t easy.

Not losing weight.

Not building muscle.

Don’t stick to habits.

For what? Because we do all of this in a system that stacks the cards:

And that’s just our external environment.

When you look under the hood, each person has different levels of ​food noise​, ​the pleasure of exercising​history of injuries, etc.

We don’t all play on a level playing field – and these rules of the game were already difficult to begin with!

I’m not saying any of this to make you feel hopeless.

Quite the contrary:

Only by recognizing the very real constraints can we develop a plan to get out of the jam.

Here’s a simple 2-step approach you can use to achieve this.

Step 1: Collect Evidence

An important part of rewriting the narrative is gathering evidence to the contrary.

That you are the type of person who shows up.

Take a few moments each day to recognize each time you take an action consistent with your goals.

✅ When you make a ​short workout​ instead of not training on a crazy day

✅ When you build a ​balanced plate​ at dinner time

✅ When you add a few extra reps to your workout

Write it down in a notebook. Text a friend. Place a marble in your ​pot of awesome​.

This is one of the most critical aspects of our ​training program​.

People need to see signs of progress. They need to be convinced that what they are doing is working.

It starts by highlighting the actions you take that enable you to achieve your goals.

From there we can zero in on the target.

Step 2: Narrow the Target

When you feel stuck and nothing is working, it’s natural to want to try to change everything, everything at once!

I encourage you to resist this urge.

Instead, get more laser focused.

In my 15 years of coaching, most progress has come from ​reduce the number of things​ someone must be worried. Don’t add more to their to-do list.

Because focus creates consistency.

If you know what the number one goal for the day is, you’re much more likely to achieve it than if you have a long list of 10 things that all seem important to you, at all times.

If they are all the most important, then none of them are important.

Narrowing your focus not only improves consistency and reduces overwhelm, but also helps you learn what really makes things happen for you.

You don’t need to guess whether something works or not: you’ve always done it and you can see the results for yourself!

–

So here is the thought I want you to put into practice:

Instead of:

“I’m failing at something that should be easy.”

To try:

“I strive to do something that is difficult for almost everyone – and I always succeed.”

This crop is not fluffy.

It’s practical.

It takes you out of shame and into problem-solving. It allows you to see the progress you are manufacturing. And it frees up space to decide what your next step actually is.

And that’s the whole game:

Introduce yourself.

Collect evidence.

Fine-tune the focus.

Repeat.

You do this long enough and the identity you build becomes what moves you forward.

If you need help figuring out your “one thing” for this week, reply to this email. I am here.

-Mast