I said to a man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied, “Go out into the darkness and
put your hand in the hand of God. That shall be to you
better than a light and safer than a known way.”
put your hand in the hand of God. That shall be to you
better than a light and safer than a known way.”
— Quoted by King George VI of England
A little classroom participation, please! Raise your hand if you have tried to lose weight or make changes in your lifestyle in the past. Now, raise your hand if you did not reach your goal or came up short in some way. Hands down. Raise your hand if you are currently battling a demon that says "But I've tried this before, and I failed." This could be one big reason why getting started is a big problem for a lot of people. It is for me, that's for sure. I said it once in an earlier blog; the hardest part of a workout is lacing up your tennis shoes- making that decision to work out and get going. And the hardest part about starting an eating plan (remember...no "D" word, here...I don't use the word "diet"...it sounds too punitive.) and exercise routine is that it requires change. And change requires discipline.
Most people tend to start off strong and fizzle out after a few weeks because they begin with too many changes at once and it becomes overwhelming. Let's face it. It is NOT EASY working out four-five nights a week and hauling two small children to the gym, or trying to do a workout video while your family asks you fifteen questions about things that really could wait. It's not easy, but it is important. It's important because it's something we do for ourselves. This is why I encourage people to start off small. Make small changes at first instead of going straight to the big 'un. (the gym and a deprivation diet.) Set a goal to drink X amount of water in X amount of time. If you miss the mark by a little at first, no biggie!! Progress, not perfection, remember? Look at your calendar and see if you can find one or two nights a week to get moving. Dance with the kiddos, walk on a treadmill, ride your bike (if you can stand the cold weather, UNLIKE ME.) Start off slow. Build up a little confidence in yourself. And be sure to pat yourself on the back DAILY for a job well done when you reach those little goals. And, if you're the journaling type, record your atta boys and tell yourself you're doing a good job.
From what "they" say, it takes approximately 21 days to make a habit. Three weeks... from my experience, that was very true. It took about three weeks of DRAGGING myself to the gym and accountability to my work-out partner before it became a given that on this day, at this time, I was going to be at the gym, come hell or high water. I began to look forward to my workouts. I look forward to beginning them again!
Yes, you see, I am still on the mat! I'm battling exactly what you are, right now. I have the "want to", but I haven't flipped the switch that says, "I'm going to". I'm starting off slowly. I've been drinking my water, eyeballing what I'm eating, taking mental notes as to why I'm eating and what I'm eating....I'm preparing for my begin date. I guess you could say I'm "prepping for surgery". :) I'm taking an inventory of where I am right now and plotting my course for where I want to be.
But know that today, this is your now. Make peace with any attempts you've made in the past and know you did the best you could with what you had at the time. And, your past experiences have been learning opportunities. So look at how much smarter you are this time around! You haven't failed; you've simply found other ways that didn't work before. :)
Most people tend to start off strong and fizzle out after a few weeks because they begin with too many changes at once and it becomes overwhelming. Let's face it. It is NOT EASY working out four-five nights a week and hauling two small children to the gym, or trying to do a workout video while your family asks you fifteen questions about things that really could wait. It's not easy, but it is important. It's important because it's something we do for ourselves. This is why I encourage people to start off small. Make small changes at first instead of going straight to the big 'un. (the gym and a deprivation diet.) Set a goal to drink X amount of water in X amount of time. If you miss the mark by a little at first, no biggie!! Progress, not perfection, remember? Look at your calendar and see if you can find one or two nights a week to get moving. Dance with the kiddos, walk on a treadmill, ride your bike (if you can stand the cold weather, UNLIKE ME.) Start off slow. Build up a little confidence in yourself. And be sure to pat yourself on the back DAILY for a job well done when you reach those little goals. And, if you're the journaling type, record your atta boys and tell yourself you're doing a good job.
From what "they" say, it takes approximately 21 days to make a habit. Three weeks... from my experience, that was very true. It took about three weeks of DRAGGING myself to the gym and accountability to my work-out partner before it became a given that on this day, at this time, I was going to be at the gym, come hell or high water. I began to look forward to my workouts. I look forward to beginning them again!
Yes, you see, I am still on the mat! I'm battling exactly what you are, right now. I have the "want to", but I haven't flipped the switch that says, "I'm going to". I'm starting off slowly. I've been drinking my water, eyeballing what I'm eating, taking mental notes as to why I'm eating and what I'm eating....I'm preparing for my begin date. I guess you could say I'm "prepping for surgery". :) I'm taking an inventory of where I am right now and plotting my course for where I want to be.
But know that today, this is your now. Make peace with any attempts you've made in the past and know you did the best you could with what you had at the time. And, your past experiences have been learning opportunities. So look at how much smarter you are this time around! You haven't failed; you've simply found other ways that didn't work before. :)
excellent blog and applicable to ANY area of life!
ReplyDeleteThank you Tami