Catchup with Coach M - Edition 32 - Brutally Honesty
- Active Living Active Living
- Mar 16
- 11 min read
Hello And Welcome to another week of Catch up with Coach M
Brutal Honesty – Perfectionism is Holding You Back from Your Progress and Results
In our last post, we dug into a topic that many of us prefer to avoid: the four crucial ingredients that can truly transform our health and mindset—Gratitude, Self-Gratitude, Self-Love, and Self-Respect. These aren’t easy to embrace, but they’re essential for creating a lasting, healthy journey.
This week, though, let’s talk about something else—something that many of us don’t often acknowledge but that’s absolutely crucial to making real progress on our health journey:
PERFECTIONISM...
Specifically, perfectionism that’s holding you back, stopping you from getting the results you want, and ultimately preventing you from living your healthiest, happiest life.
Perfectionism: A Barrier to Your Progress
We all know what perfectionism is. It’s that overwhelming drive to do everything just right—to nail every workout, count every calorie, and make every decision perfect. And while it’s great to want to strive for the best version of yourself, perfectionism often has the opposite effect. It can slow you down and even make you feel like a failure when you inevitably fall short of your impossibly high standards.
Let’s face it: this journey of health and fitness doesn’t require perfection. The real key to lasting change is about progress, not perfection.
The False Promise of Perfectionism
When we first start our health journey, we tend to go all in. We commit to our daily workouts, our meal plans, our schedules, and we give 1000% effort, thinking that we need to do everything perfectly. But what happens when life gets in the way—when we get tired, overwhelmed, or just plain don’t feel like it? It’s easy to throw in the towel and label ourselves a “failure.”
But here’s the hard truth: you are not a failure. You are human. You’re allowed to get tired. You’re allowed to not feel motivated sometimes. And it’s okay if you don’t have the energy to push to the max every single day.
The truth is, this journey is not about being perfect—it’s about being consistent. It’s about learning to apply the four magic ingredients (Gratitude, Self-Gratitude, Self-Love, and Self-Respect) in healthy doses every single day.
It’s about showing up for yourself, even on the days when you don’t feel like it, and accepting that small wins are still wins.
The Power of Imperfect Progress
Imagine if you could take the pressure off perfection. Instead of trying to get everything 100% right, what if you focused on getting 80% of your meals right in a week? What if being 1% better than yesterday meant simply walking for five minutes longer, or cutting back on the amount of junk food you usually eat with friends?
Let’s break it down:
Instead of eating an entire bag of chips or chocolate, you only have a few.
Instead of going for seconds, you stop at one serving.
Instead of skipping your workout because you’re tired, you show up anyway and do a 20-minute session.
Instead of pushing yourself to the max, you scale it back a bit, adjusting the weights or intensity—but you still show up.
These little steps are the real key to success. Small, imperfect progress is still progress. And that’s what matters most.
Why Perfectionism Doesn’t Serve You
You cannot afford to be perfect in this journey. If you were perfect, you’d be setting yourself up for disappointment. Health and fitness are not about never having a bad day or always being on track. The true goal is to stay consistent, show up even when it’s tough, and continue moving forward, even if it’s just one small step at a time.
Perfectionism doesn’t allow for mistakes or setbacks, and in a journey where progress is key, that mindset can be harmful. When you let go of the need to be perfect, you’ll start to realize that just showing up—imperfectly—is enough.
Embrace Progress, Not Perfection
So, what do you need to do to start breaking free from the grip of perfectionism? Start by forgiving yourself for the days you don’t hit every target. Recognize that this journey isn’t about flawless execution; it’s about the willingness to keep moving forward, one imperfect step at a time.
Remember, the road to a better version of yourself doesn’t require perfection. It requires commitment, consistency, and the courage to keep going even when things don’t go as planned.
So, stop holding yourself to impossible standards. Take the pressure off. And allow yourself to progress, not perfectly, but imperfectly and consistently.
You’ve got this.
This Week’s Challenge to YOU: Celebrate the Wins, Not the Mistakes
We’re all familiar with the feeling of disappointment when we fall short of our goals. Whether it’s missing a workout, choosing an unhealthy snack, or not hitting our target for the day, it’s easy to focus on what we did wrong.
It can leave us feeling deflated and discouraged, sometimes even convincing us that we’re failing or not good enough.
But what if we flipped the script? What if, instead of dwelling on the things you didn’t do right today, you focused on the things you got right?
This week, I challenge you to do just that.
Instead of focusing on what went wrong, take a moment each day to reflect on the small wins—the micro victories that often go unnoticed but, over time, lead to lasting change. Trust me, these small victories are more important than you might realize.
When we set out on a health and fitness journey, we often have big, ambitious goals. We want to lose weight, build muscle, feel stronger, or improve our endurance. And while those are fantastic goals, it’s the small, daily habits—the things we do consistently—that ultimately lead to lasting success.
These small wins are what build the foundation for bigger changes. They’re the little things that, over time, lead to a better body composition, improved fitness, and ultimately the results you’re working towards, whether that’s getting the scale number you want or feeling more confident in your body.
Small habits don’t seem like much in the moment, but they’re the stepping stones to long-term success. The key is recognizing and celebrating them, because when you do, you reinforce the idea that progress is happening—no matter how small it might seem.
What Are the Small Wins?
Think about the micro victories you’ve had recently. These could be anything from choosing a healthy snack when you were craving junk food, to getting up and doing a short workout when you felt like skipping it. They could be as simple as drinking an extra glass of water, hitting your daily step count, or even resisting the urge to have a second helping at dinner.
Here are a few examples of what your “small wins” could look like:
You got in your daily walk, even if it was just for 10 minutes.
You chose a healthier option for lunch instead of the usual fast food.
You made time for a 20-minute workout, even though you were busy.
You said no to the extra serving of dessert or snacks and felt good about it.
You kept your energy up throughout the day by choosing to hydrate more often.
You woke up 30 minutes earlier to start your day with a bit of movement or a healthy breakfast.
All of these things are small, seemingly insignificant moments—but they add up over time. And when you recognize them, you’re not just patting yourself on the back; you’re reinforcing your commitment to positive change.
Why Focus on the Small Wins?
In our fast-paced world, we’re often conditioned to focus on big achievements. We want to see the numbers drop on the scale quickly, we want to see drastic changes in our bodies, and we want to feel like we're making huge strides every day. But here’s the truth: lasting transformation doesn’t happen overnight. It happens in the small, consistent choices we make every day.
When you focus on small wins, you’re shifting your mindset from a place of perfectionism to a place of progress. It’s not about doing everything perfectly—it’s about showing up for yourself and doing the best you can each day. These small wins may seem insignificant now, but over time, they stack up to huge results.
How to Start Recognizing Your Wins
Start today by reflecting on the little things you’ve done right. At the end of each day, write down three things you got right. These don’t have to be grand gestures—just small wins that contributed to your growth.
For example:
I drank an extra glass of water today.
I resisted the urge to eat that cookie and opted for an apple instead.
I made time to stretch, even though I was tired.
These may seem like tiny victories, but they are wins nonetheless. Over time, they will add up to something bigger. If you make a habit of recognizing and celebrating these wins, you’ll shift your focus from what's “wrong” to what’s “right,” which will help build momentum and keep you motivated.
The beauty of focusing on small wins is that they’re sustainable. Unlike drastic changes or perfectionistic goals, small wins are achievable, maintainable, and enjoyable. They allow you to progress at a pace that works for your life and your body.
Over time, those small wins lead to bigger victories:
Better body composition because you consistently make healthier choices.
Increased strength and endurance because you’re showing up to your workouts, even when you’re tired.
A healthier mindset because you’re not constantly beating yourself up over mistakes, but instead acknowledging your progress.
Lasting results because you’re building habits that you can maintain for the long haul.
Celebrate Your Progress
So, I challenge you this week: Instead of focusing on the things you didn’t get right, focus on the things you did. Start small—acknowledge your victories, however minor they may seem. Celebrate the fact that you’re showing up for yourself every single day, doing the best you can. Over time, these micro-wins will lead to macro results.
Remember, progress isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being consistent. So, let’s focus on the small wins that are going to get us where we want to be. Celebrate each step forward, and keep building momentum. The journey may be long, but every small victory is one step closer to your goals.
TRAINING CALENDER
Embracing Imperfection and Celebrating Small Wins
This week was one of those weeks where getting everything done felt like a challenge—physically and mentally. It was a week that tested my resilience in ways I didn’t expect. Not only did I have a packed schedule, but it was also the week of one of my “A calendar” runs, so I had to be especially mindful about pacing myself. I didn’t want to push too hard and burn out, but I still had to keep moving forward and try to get things kind of right.
And I say “kind of” because the topic of perfectionism came up once again in my own life this week. As someone who’s been on this journey for a long time, I’ve learned that perfectionism isn’t the answer. In fact, it often hinders progress. So, I had to quickly shift my mindset and focus on what I could get right—not everything, but the things that would still move me in the right direction.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to do everything I had planned, but I also knew that showing up in any way, even on the tough days, was a win. And that’s exactly what I did. On days when my workload got heavy, I showed up for the small things—stretching, going for a walk instead of mindlessly scrolling my phone. These were my wins.
What Did I Manage This Week? What Didn’t I?
I planned my week with a set schedule in mind, but life had other plans. And you know what? That’s okay. Here’s a comparison of what I intended to do vs. what actually happened:
The Wins
Even though things didn’t go exactly as planned, I still found some major wins this week. First and foremost, I showed up every day. Even when work got in the way, I managed to do something each day, no matter how small. And I’m really proud of that.
Another huge win was that I ran a good race for me. The conditions weren’t perfect, but I ran at my own pace, and I truly enjoyed every moment of it. No, it wasn’t my best time, but it was a race I felt proud of. I embraced the experience, and that made all the difference.
Lastly, I didn’t let the setbacks get to me. This week felt challenging at times, and there were moments where I felt like I wasn’t winning, but when I take a step back, I see that I made it count. I gave what I could, and I kept moving forward.
Embracing Imperfection
What I’ve learned this week is that progress doesn’t always look like perfection. Some weeks are harder than others, and that’s okay. The goal isn’t to get everything perfect—it’s about showing up, doing what you can, and being kind to yourself in the process. Perfectionism often leads to burnout and discouragement, but when you focus on doing your best, even if it’s imperfect, you give yourself room to grow.
So, even though this week was tough, I’m proud of myself for making it through. I didn’t get everything right, but I still made progress. And that’s what matters. Every step, no matter how small, is still a step forward.
Take this as a reminder: you don’t need to do everything perfectly to succeed. Just show up, keep moving, and celebrate the small wins. Because in the end, they all add up.
2025 HARD CHALLENGE
Wow, this week was tough. The Hard Challenge? Let’s just say it lived up to its name—HARD, HARD, HARD. I really struggled with staying focused, and on top of everything else, it was a super busy week. Some of the habits I’d been working on definitely got put on the back burner.
But here’s the thing: Is this a sign that I’m failing the challenge?
Absolutely not. It’s just a sign of being human. Life happens, and sometimes we can’t get everything done perfectly. And honestly, that’s okay.
So I did what I always advise you to do: I focused on the wins. Instead of stressing about the things I didn’t do, I celebrated the small victories.
Even though it wasn’t a perfect week, there were still some key things I managed to accomplish. First, I hit the 70 minutes of new skills. I also did a better job of eating less sugar, though it wasn’t perfect. And while my March challenge of better focus on overall food consumption didn’t go exactly as planned, I still made some improvements.
Were these things perfect? Not at all. But they were wins in their own right. It’s all about the small consistencies and the efforts that count, and this week I focused on getting those things just a little bit better.
This week was a reminder that progress is not about perfection. It’s about doing what you can, showing up even when it’s hard, and acknowledging the small wins along the way. Life can throw us curveballs, and we’re not always going to hit every target. But every time we choose to keep going, to keep working on ourselves, we move closer to our goals.
So, even though this week didn’t go as planned, I still consider it a winning week because I showed up. I improved where I could, and I focused on what I did right instead of beating myself up for what I didn’t do.
This week is a new week, and I’m ready to take what I’ve learned and do better. I’m going to continue to focus on the wins, keep improving the small habits, and remind myself that progress is still progress—even when it’s not perfect.
Remember, it’s okay not to be perfect. Life is messy, but consistency and effort always count. So let’s focus on what we can control and keep moving forward, one step at a time.
Here’s to a new week of small wins and continued growth!
Until next time!
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