Why are you such a failure?
Ok, I’ll hold my hands up. The title is total click bait ;) but now you’re here..I want to talk to you about something I know lots of you have experienced..
Wanting to make changes to your wellbeing, maybe even getting started, but then losing your way, losing your motivation, giving up, and labelling it or worse, yourself, as a failure.
If you can relate, read on for 3 reasons why you might be struggling with this and what you can do instead.
You are starting too big
I think most of us have been guilty of this one before. We decide we want to make a change. Let’s say we decide its time to improve our wellbeing.
So what do we do? We chuck out all the tasty snacks, we buy the celery, we join the weight loss group, we plan in endless walks or all the classes at the gym. Great, I love that you have good intentions.
But grand intentions do not usually get grand results.
When we start off a change like this, when we approach it with that “go hard or go home” mentality, more often than not we go home at the first bump.
For the majority of us, starting small is the REAL key to success. You don’t have to overhaul your entire kitchen, workout routine, and life all in one go.
So if this sounds like you.. Your first step for today is to think of something SMALL. Something manageable. You’re looking for a step that will take you from A to B not A to Z in one jump.
Start small, build up some consistency with something little and THEN start to add in other changes. If you try to do it all at once it usually leads to overwhelm and giving up.
2. You see one slip as GAME OVER
Look, let’s be real. Not one of us makes perfect choices all of the time. Nobody chooses the healthiest options every time. That's fine..it's normal. I honestly believe moderation is key…true balance and all that ;) so when you make a choice that you don't think fits with the change you are trying to make, its ok..you're human.
Don't give it meaning. It doesn't mean you are failing or that you are doing something wrong. Let it be. It's done… don't give it power to derail you.
Change comes from the things we do consistently, not sometimes. A slice or 2 of pizza isn't a big deal. Restricting, making yourself miserable and then thinking that you're a failure..that's a big deal! Go slow and steady, and see any bumps in the road for what they really are… just life.
3. You don’t have a clear strategy
The 3rd thing that might be holding you back is that you don't have a plan. Or maybe you have a wishy washy plan. Or a hope! " A dream without a plan is like a builder without a van"...it could be done but it's much less effective and will take a lot longer. This is something we will dig into in another blog as its a big topic but for now, have a think about the following questions..
Do you know where you want to get to or what results/changes you want to make?
Do you know what steps you will need to take to make that a reality?
If no, who could you ask for help?
If yes, what's stopping you from getting started with them?
Making changes doesn't have to be complicated. Start small, keep walking, even when things don't go as you'd like and start thinking about what you need to do to get to where you want to be… we will get into planning in more detail soon but for now remember, go slow, don't give meaning to bumps in the road and most importantly… YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE xx
PS: Click here to download journal prompts for you to print out and fill in to get your brain ticking and to get you started with your first baby steps.
