Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I was debating even posting today, but in honor of staying consistent over the holidays, I’m here. I’m showing up for you and I actually think what I have to say will resonate quite a bit with many of you.
I’ve seen my pattern with blogging. I tell myself I’ll skip this week and show up again next week. Guess what? It doesn’t work so I’m breaking the pattern and going in a different direction. Besides, I always have something to say. Just ask my husband. 😉
My first blog post ever was based on the famous quote by Albert Einstein.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Click To Tweet– Albert Einstein
While I’m thankful my writing has come a long way since 2010, the points I made are still true. Every single day so many of us continue to do the same things over and over again. Sometimes this can be a good thing, like in the case of a healthy habit or a system that allows you to be more productive.
Other times doing the same thing over and over is not a good thing. We’re not getting the results we want, but we still keep doing {or not doing} the same darn things over and over searching for a different ending. Habits die hard, good or bad.
For years I said I was going to make time to read. I’d promise myself I’d read before bed at least twice a week or that I’d make an hour during the work day to sit with a book. I lied. Making time to read wasn’t a priority. I either needed to scratch my goal or try something radically different to get the results I wanted. It took a LONG time, but I finally admitted there’s no way I’m going to read actual books in this season of my life. It’s not a forever thing, but right now I’m not going to do it. However, I will listen. Enter Audiobooks and a different result…FINALLY. I’m ‘reading’ at least a book a month. Boom. Go me.
One of our members came to an evening class last night. I asked if she’s changing her schedule because it was a different time for her to train. She said she kept promising herself she’d get up and come to the morning classes. Then she noticed the days and weeks were flying by and she wasn’t showing up. She wasn’t keeping the promise to herself. In this case, her kids weren’t sleeping great and she was becoming much more of a night owl than a morning person. She called herself out and tried something different. She started coming at night and now she’s getting a different result. She’s showing up. It may not work forever, but it’s what works right now. She saw a pattern, took action and broke the chain. Boom. Go her!
I’ll leave you with this final thought because I know it’s a busy week for all of you.
One of my nutrition coaching clients mentioned how she needs to get back on the wagon. She has to start putting herself first again. She wants to get back to the gym and start prepping healthy meals. She’s is tired of falling off the wagon when she’s barely gotten back on.
I think another member of the group said it best today.
There is no wagon. It’s more of a sidewalk ramp, which is really small. Click To Tweet
Look, it’s easier to blame the proverbial wagon for your lack of progress towards a goal than it is to take action. The wagon is intimidating and getting on it feels hard. The wagon is some place we’ve convinced ourselves we need to be in order to succeed. This place is usually determined based on what we think we should do, what others are doing or what we’ve done in our past.
Note that the wagon doesn’t take seasons of life into account. It doesn’t take our individual lifestyle, goals or preferences into account. The wagon doesn’t have a ramp or staircase. It’s more like a huge cliff. You’re either on it or stuck way down in the valley.
Screw the wagon. Look at your journey as more of a sidewalk. Sure, you might wander for awhile, slip down off the curb or even dip your toe in a puddle at times. Just keep moving. Be honest with yourself and stop making false promises you’re not ready, willing or able to fulfill.
What’s something you continue to do over and over again? Something that you keep telling yourself you’ll do? Something you’re promising and not following through?
Do you actually want what you think you want or is it simply not a priority right now? If you decide your goal is a priority for you, take a baby step. Don’t promise yourself something huge or the same thing you’ve falsely promised yourself you’ll do every week since September 1. Do something. Anything. Just take action.
Picture the sidewalk. Step back up on the curb. Then take a step forward tomorrow. Keep walking and soon you’ll be in an different neighborhood instead of stuck in your driveway trying to find a way to climb onto the wagon.
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