Conquest by Colour
or
How colours can motivate you to move and stay fit forever
even if you are a chronic procrastinator and never managed to start
by Karolina Chic
Fair warning: 6 min read about 5-step colour program to get that active wear and use it daily for what it was designed
Photo credit: Nataliya Vaitkevich – Pexels.com
If you, too, graduated from the college of procrastinating sciences and wonder studies, I have the following set of three (3) arguments and a very specific five (5) step colour plan to get you out of that not-so-great-for-your-inner-harmony state of being, which is commonly known as guilt. Because procrastination and guilt are actually twins in real life.
I should probably make it short and say: I will tell you the rest tomorrow. Because this is what we, the procrastinators, do best: postpone.
But no. Not this time, Satan.
Let me share those three helpful tips on how to overcome your mindset (because it is all in your head) and get rid of objections/reasoning about how tomorrow is a better word than today a.k.a. excuses. But first, we need to address the elephant in the room and ask him to leave before he breaks even more porcelain dining sets.
Argument # 1
INSIDIOUS SEMANTICS
Wording is crucial here because it frames your mindset, which frames your thoughts and your thoughts frame your actions – or non-action. By the mere fact that you will transfer the ‘blame’ for not doing whatever you planned to do today to fancy sounding words, such as procrastination or perfectionism, you indirectly – in your mind – get rid of the responsibility for your wrong decisions and your own actions. Or non-actions.
The key to overcome procrastination (see the semantics here?) is to give yourself personal responsibility for your decisions. All of them. Because postponing something is a deliberate decision. And not exercising is another.
Photo credit: Maksim Goncharenok – Pexels.com
Not a decisive person?
Don’t worry. I used to be the same. Eons ago.
You know what helped? This: “I am making a conscious decision to become a decisive person from now on.”
That’s it.
I tried it and it worked. For me. I bet my long Chocolate Brown fur coat from Vienna, Austria that it will work for you, too.
Ever since then I make my decisions fast. Once you decide to be decisive you’ll make all your decisions fast, too. Are all my decisions great? No, but they are mine and I take full responsibility for them.
Will all your decisions be great? No, but they will be yours and you’ll take full responsibility for them. It feels much better than blaming everything and everyone around you. Feels like being and adult.
Another barrier in progress is called perfectionism.
‘I will start exercising after I print out all tutorials, watch every single video and read every single comment on the forum. Then I will feel perfectly prepared.’
I made that feeble attempt when I joined a fitness program and failed miserably.
One of my favourite writers Elizabeth Gilbert once said that perfectionism is nothing more than fear in high heels.
So what do you fear then?
The unknown. Just like any other living thinking creature. The sad thing is that the future ‘unknown’ is so much better than the current ‘known’. You know it but somehow you are convincing yourself that you would rather prefer staying in your comfort zone. Because it feels safe. Because this is what you know.
Nevertheless, NOTHING remarkable and worthy has ever happened in the comfort zone. NOTHING.
No pain no gain.
Staying in the comfort zone waiting for the right time, the best time, for Monday, for the first of the month, for the first that falls on a Monday or until things will be perfect means not trying to live fully, to your potential. You are capable of so much more than you can imagine. We all live in bodies that are fully capable of looking healthy, being flexible and feel like a feather – but with muscles. To get that you must stop treating procrastination like an honourable guest, kick it to the curb and make a conscious decision help your body get into its intended shape.
There are three dopamine releasing things that make us feel (almost) the same: exercising, eating chocolate and sex. Pick your pleasures. Oh wait, you have already picked it! You are here, so…
Photo credit: Liliana Drew – Pexels.com
Argument # 2
WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!
That’s the easiest thing to do – switch ‘tomorrow’ for ‘today’. TODAY.
Now that you know that procrastination is not your friend to be there for you when you need him but a banana peel on the floor for your stagnation, stop using the same vocabulary. Today sounds so much better than tomorrow. Tomorrow may sound promising but today already sounds like an accomplishment.
And once you start, don’t stop until you are proud of what you have accomplished. Simple.
Argument # 3
MIND YOUR MIND!
A.k.a. Conquest by Colours
“I’ve gained so much weight and I feel unhealthy and unattractive.”
Sound familiar, doesn’t it? Well, most of us have had the same thought at least once or twice.
Fancy a reframe?
Here is my very specific 5-step colour plan to make you move and stay fit forever
This is by far my favourite and the most efficient method because it plays with your vanity – in a positive way. Actually, it is a super solid set of steps:
Photo credit: Los Muertos Crew – Pexels.com
STEP # 1
Pick a colour that you absolutely love, that inspires you, that gives you energy that makes you feel like moving. Ideally, you won’t look awful in it. It may not be your most flattering colour but good enough to wear it for physical activity. You have a unique opportunity to be super picky here.
For me that colour is neon coral. It is a colour that looks like orange but it isn’t because it has more red it in, which makes it coral. It is less aggressive than red (my best colour), not as playful as orange (the colour I like but cannot wear near my face) and makes me look and feel like a stylish woman on a mission.
Common mistake: ‘It doesn’t matter what I wear, I will sweat in it anyway.’
Big mistake. Big. Huge.
You want to feel attractive even when you sweat because you are sweating to feel attractive, remember?
Even when your hair is in your mouth, your face looks like you stayed in a sauna after they locked the door from the outside and left you there for three hours and your legs are shaking after a way too long wall sit.
Besides, when you sweat, your hair is messy, you wear no makeup and terribly unflattering colours – that can be demotivating. You move to look better. Looking awful in the process is not mandatory and I do not recommend it.
Photo credit: Ketut Subiyanto – Pexels.com
STEP # 2
Once you pick your favourite colour that will make you move even if you don’t feel like it and turn the droplets of your sweat into charming sparkles, you need to create a colour coordinated outfit or two that you can wear interchangeably.
For me it is always a monochromatic bright coloured bra, top, jacket and socks and barely noticeable leggings. The reason is simple – I do not want anyone to pay attention to my wobbly bits, therefore Charcoal for my leggings is perfect. It is not as depressing as black, it suit me and it pairs well with both neon coral and magenta that are near my face and on my feet.
Warning: Many people opt for black leggings or all black attire hoping that it is slimming. Black makes already slim people slimmer. But it makes not slim people look heavier.
Why?
Colours create various illusions. Red creates the illusion of vicinity, pink the illusion of a sweet taste and black creates the illusion of weight.
Not the best option, especially if black is not your best colour.
If you want your bottom to be dark, try Eggplant, Deep Violet, Blue Violet, Deep Burgundy, Mahogany or Forest Green.
Photo credit: Tima Miroshnichenko – Pexels.com
STEP # 3
Pick colour coordinated (with your outfit) running shoes and spend an outrageous amount of money on them.
It serves its purpose.
How?
Well, nobody sane would spend an outrageous amount of money on something they wouldn’t use. When you do spend an outrageous amount of money on your running shoes, you bloody better wear them every day until they fall apart! As a revenge!
And why would you wear running shoes, if you had no intentions to move? Only a fool would spend an outrageous amount of money on something they wouldn’t use. You are no fool. Wear every cent out of them until they fall apart.
See how motivating this is?
Photo credit: Philip Achermann – Pexels.com
STEP # 4
Put your active wear outfit together every night neatly by your bed so it is the first thing you see after you get up. While you are still half asleep and you do mundane things automatically, simply put it on before you fully realize that you are going to exercise.
Should your logical brain protest trying to protect you from stepping outside your comfort zone, you are fully dressed for exercising, wearing the colours that energize you, wearing those outrageously expensive running shoes so there is no other option than start moving, baby.
Why does your brain try to dissuade you?
Your brain does it to protect you from failure based on your previous behavioral patterns. If you never exercise and now you intend to, your brain does everything it can to make you procrastinate. Why? Because it wants you to be happy.
What?
If you don’t achieve your goals, you will be frustrated. Better not to set any than feeling frustrated when you don’t achieve them.
Technically, this is your brain’s way of protecting you from the unknown, keeping you safe in your comfort zone. This is why so many people never live like they want to live, never look like they want to look, never drive cars they want to drive and never visit places they want to visit. They NEVER leave their comfort zone. They never do anything untypical. They never buy outrageously expensive running shoes to run away from their bad habits that make them unfit, unwell and broke both financially and mentally.
Photo credit: Centre for Aging Better – Pexels.com
STEP # 5
This is the best part. Before you actually obtain said colour coordinated outfit and buy/receive those outrageously expensive running shoes, you will have to wear ‘whatever’ until you have the fitness splendor delivered.
Take a picture. Yes, take a picture. In your ‘whatever’ outfit.
Once you have your enchanting fitness garments delivered to your door, unpack them, put them on, and take another picture.
See?
Now you have ‘before and after’ pics before you even make any progress. That’s motivating.
Hope this succinct write up was helpful to you becasue it works like a charm.
Want to know which colours are the most flattering for you when exercising? Or in general?
Drop a line or two here: www.styleandchic.ca/contact
Image mentor Karolina Chic doesn’t see the world in black & white. She’s the secret weapon of ambitious public figures, touring authors and public speakers ready to move from coffin chic to custom chic in the blink of her highly-trained colour-focused eye – so they can gain trust and persuade the right audience with their awe-inspiring image.