Once you get into it, there’s not many things better than exhausting yourself in some healthy competition with good company.
Think about it…you get to challenge yourself mentally and physically, you get to feel like you accomplished something difficult (because you did), and you get to feel companionship.
The endorphins that are released help you feel better throughout the day AND if you start your morning with exercise, it can help you build the momentum you need to make the lifestyle choices you desire.
Train your mind to be stronger than your emotions.
It doesn’t matter how much you want something, if you don’t train your mind to be stronger than your emotions, you’ll constantly be taking one step forward and two steps back.
Think about wanting to get in the best physical shape of your life. First, you need to set a SMART goal. Then, you need to figure out why that goal is important to you. After that, you need to put a plan in place to achieve your goal. During the planning period, you may be doing research to complete the perfect plan (which doesn’t exist), but that should not stop you from getting started (done is better than perfect). Lastly, you need to find an accountability partner who makes sure you are actively and consistently working towards your goal.
If you let your emotions take over (especially your negative emotions), you’ll find an excuse to not do what you know you need to be doing! It feels better (at the time) to stay in your warm, comfy bed and sleep in. It feels better (at the time) to eat another serving or to have dessert or to have a bedtime snack. It feels better to sit on the couch and watch tv or scroll on Instagram. For every short-term pleasure, there is a long-term consequence. And if you really want to achieve your goals, you have to train your mind to be stronger than your emotions (and just doing what feels good in the moment).
So what’s more important to you? A little extra sleep? Or getting up, keeping that promise to yourself, and striving towards your goals?
Trust me, in the end, you will feel so much better about yourself knowing that you set a difficult goal and you achieved it. You persisted through the ups and downs. It was simple, but it wasn’t easy, and not many people are willing to do what you do to get what you want.
Train your mind. If you listen to your emotions, listen to the positive ones that are pushing you towards your goals. Use those! But steel your mind. Make it so strong that your negative emotions cannot overcome you when you put your mind to something.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Anne Lamott
If you ever feel stressed out, burned out, or overwhelmed, take some time to just unplug. Sometimes we’re so used to being “on” that we just need a break. It’s not a sign of weakness. It’s understanding that giving yourself the night off, or maybe even just a few minutes to yourself, will help you reset.
If it’s possible, take time to sit in silence, to take some deep breaths, to get away from technology and/or some of your ongoing duties. Most things won’t permanently break if you step away for a second. Almost everything is fixable and it will all be ok. The moment you stop putting so much pressure on yourself and give yourself permission to reboot, the less anxiety you’ll feel. Love yourself and forgive yourself enough to know that you’re not perfect (nobody is) and that you’re human and need to unplug from time to time.
If you won’t remember this specific event in a week (let alone in a year or at the end of your life), then stop worrying so much about it. It’s not a big deal. Don’t blow things out of proportion.
So what if you got a B (or C, D, or F) on an assignment? Does that mean that you’ll never succeed in life?
So what that you didn’t get 8 hours of sleep? Does that mean you’re going to be a zombie the next day?
So what if your kids have some chocolate or didn’t eat the most perfectly grown, organic/non-GMO food today? Does that mean that they won’t grow and their health is now in jeopardy?
The point is, we are more resilient than most people think and so are our kids (if we let them). Don’t think that everything has to be perfect, because it won’t be – and you’ll drive yourself crazy trying to make it perfect. Go with the flow. Be nice. Treat others well. Do your best everyday. But be kind to yourself. Understand that the goal should be progress, not perfection.
