You know the feeling. You want to initiate a change in your life, and you want to go in full force. No dipping a toe in the water. Just dive right in. And sometimes that can be the best way to go about eating healthier, exercising regularly, and changing your mindset. But… and yes there is a but, it can lead to burnout, giving up, frustration, or all of the above. For example, let’s say someone tries to eliminate all processed foods to lose weight (not that we are advocating this), and on day 5, they eat a big bowl of ice cream. They’re frustrated, upset with themselves, and give up. “What’s the point of trying for the rest of this week when I already messed up?” And then they find themselves in a downward spiral, reverting to their old habits, and giving up.
Does this sound like you? Maybe it’s not giving up processed food. Maybe it is getting into a regular exercise routine, and you miss a couple days. Or perhaps it is drinking 80 oz of water per day, and then you travel and stop tracking. If you aren’t all in, do you give up? Or do you keep trying?
You may have heard the metaphor of driving a car and getting a flat tire. When that happens, do you fix or replace the tire? Or do you slash the other three? What you do in this situation matters, metaphorically and in real life.
There is no need to slash your other three tires just because you hit a bump (or nail) in the road. Mistakes happen, missteps happen, life happens. After all, we are human. We are not perfect, as much as social media and lots of people tend to portray. Do not let one mistake stand in the way of reaching your goals. You are worthy of becoming the person you want to be.
We know it can be tough to reach goals, especially when the “payoff” takes months or even years. But let us tell you that the other end of the spectrum, regret, may be even tougher.
Enter the “something” tactic. Yes, we realize it’s not the best named strategy, but that’s all right. Here we go: something is better than nothing. Apply this to any area of your life you see fit. For example, you want to initiate an exercise routine. You are a busy person. You might only have twenty minutes in your day available for it. But you know what? Something is better than nothing. So utilize that time as your exercise time. Do an AMRAP workout. Take the dog for a jog.
Maybe you want to clean up your nutrition and eat more veggies. Your “something” could be ordering a meal service to take the pressure off planning. Perhaps you want to get more steps in, and right now you are averaging 2,000 steps per day. Your “something” could be aiming for 3,000 steps rather than the typically suggested 10,000.
Find your “something” and put it into action. The aesthetic of goal-achieving from the outside often looks glamorous, but more often than not, it takes grit and discipline. As you grow and become more focused, your “something” will evolve too. Maybe your 20 minute workouts twice per week grow into three days of 30 minutes after learning some time management. Perhaps you learn to enjoy cooking and cancel your meal delivery service. If you make a mistake, brush yourself off, learn from it, and continue or adjust your strategy as needed. Learn to enjoy the process of achieving your goals, and fall in love with the “somethings” of the mundane everyday. After all, something is better than nothing.
Jessica Corkin is a certified personal trainer at Begin Within. She holds a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science and has spent the last seven years working in the fitness and wellness industry. When she is not virtually training clients, she enjoys strength training, running, being outdoors, and spending quality time with her husband and dog.
P.S. Want to kick your "something" up a notch? We are offering a special, limited-time virtual personal training, nutrition, and accountability package to the first 25 people who sign up. Click HERE to check it out now!
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