Overwhelmed and Frustrated? Trying doing the Opposite.
It is 100% normal and okay to get frustrated (sometimes often) about where we are at in our health and fitness journeys. The question “am I doing enough?” is one that we ask ourselves a lot. It’s often combined with “am I exercising enough?”, “am I losing the correct amount of weight” and “am I doing this right?”.
I’m here today, this week, this month, to give you a wee pep talk. Because if we are asking ourselves these questions then there’s a very good chance that we are trying to improve these parts of our life. And therefore I have a super large high five for you.
Because you are taking responsibility.
Health isn’t a race though. There is no finish line. It’s an ongoing journey. And whilst being responsible, especially for our wellbeing, is awesome - it isn’t everything. And sometimes just enough, is actually enough.
We spend so much of our lives running around - to do everything for everybody. We get exhausted.The pressure to live ‘our best lives’ or to ‘never Miss a Monday’ is all to real in our world.
Instead of making huge sweeping statements about what we want for our lives and our days, make small steps, or basic goals, for the day. And these basic goals contribute to wider, bigger, goals. I recommend to our Projects that we set one Intention for the day and then three things to focus on to make that happen. Taking small steps doesn't mean you're incapable, it means you're committed. Progress towards a BETTER you, not the PERFECT you.
What I’m suggesting today is that good enough is good enough. How’s that for a whole different strategy? Completely the opposite of what we are used to?
In our 12 Days of You Project, we do a day called Opposite Day.
We look at all those things we have tried in the past, to improve our health and wellbeing. For me some of these things have been;
A detox diet? Yea! Bring on the green juice!
$500 spent at Lululemon on activewear? Heck yes - that was me - the credit card is still smoking.
Elaborate workouts with weird exercises and complex set and rep equations? Absolutely - yep.
And the best part? I had decided that I was gonna cram this all into one day. HAH! No wonder so many of us find it hard to get and stay healthy. Because I know I am not the only one.
Some days I still find myself doing it from time to time. I catch myself more often than not but when I am not paying attention, I run myself into the ground by doing too much at once.
Try this today - or this week;
Make a list of things you’ve tried to lose weight and/or get in shape in the past. It could have been a book, a specific diet, or a workout program, hiring a trainer, going to "boot camp classes". . . or all of the above.
Write it down. Share it with me if you like!
Then ask yourself, “How did that work for me?” Take an honest look at what you tried and what happened. Don't be self-critical. You're just collecting data like a scientist.
What does the evidence of your experience tell you? Embrace the opposite.
We know from experience that to make drastic and lasting change, you need to simplify.
Master one basic habit at a time.
Maybe you don’t think the "one habit at a time" thing will work either. It’s probably different from everything else you’ve tried. It’s probably not what you expected. You might even say it’s the opposite of what you’d expect.
At this time in our lives, we are forced to slow down. We are forced to take some time out from ‘normal’ life. So if hamstering on the treadmill and worrying about what goes into every meal was the old normal, let’s try something different - something opposite.