consistent practice

Changing the Rules

by ultrapeg

 

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Photo Credit: Peg Ryan

It’s still January so the new year is still a work in progress.  Perhaps you’ve already seen some decline in your resolve.  No problem.  That’s not a signal that you’re a failure or that you should give up.  It may simply mean that you need to adjust your expectations.

When you start something new or return to something after an absence, you usually don’t know what to expect.  You observe and listen and work at mastering skills.  But once you’ve become a bit more experienced, you may find that you begin to establish rules.  Your mind tells you that things need to be done a certain way.  Perhaps you’ve read or heard other people suggest methods deemed as “correct” by some standard.  Or maybe you look around and see others performing in ways that seem beyond your capacity.  Instead of concluding that you’ll never be any good at whatever it is your pursuing, try changing the rules.  Adjust your expectations.  Do what works for you.  It may look different from someone else’s version but it will still be “right” and you will still benefit.  Best of all, you will stay on track and continue working toward your goals.

When it comes to diet and exercise, most rules are just guidelines.  Each of us is an experiment of one.  Regardless of what you may read or hear in popular media, there is no such thing as the perfect answer. What works for one person may not be appropriate for someone else.  Moreover what works one day may not work the next.  And vice versa.  Change is constant.  It is one of the only certainties in this life.  Even though we waste a lot of energy resisting change, it is always happening.  As difficult as it is sometimes, in the long run we are much better off if we can just go with the flow.

So if what you’re trying to do today just isn’t working the way you want it to, instead of beating yourself up because you’re not “doing it right”, try doing it differently.  March to your own drummer.  It may seem like it’s not the same as what you’ve been told or what you’ve observed, but so what?  That doesn’t make it “wrong”.  It just makes it different.

There is substantial evidence that exercise is an important way to keep your muscles working and your bones strong. But it is the exercise you actually do that matters.  The key is consistency.  Developing habits helps you to maintain that consistency, but adjusting to daily circumstances is equally important. If you stop doing something because you’re not living up to your concept of perfection, then you’re not getting any benefit at all.  Try allowing yourself to be who you are right now in this moment and move from there.  You may surprise yourself by eventually noticing that you still experience positive changes.

Unless you’re ill, it is far better to show up, go easy and just do what you can than it is to not show up at all.  Intention is more about process than outcomes.  Adjust your rules, let go of expectations, participate in the process and be grateful for what you can do.  You won’t be sorry.

Eliminating Obstacles

by ultrapeg

We’re 3 days into the new year so perhaps you’ve already begun to implement your new year’s resolutions.  Of course, the odds are against you, but I’m sure you know that.  No need to be negative, though.  Most of us have been here before so we know that setting the intention helps, but all those good intentions tend to get derailed as soon as some inevitable obstacle gets in the way.  Goal-setting can be good, but it might be a better idea to take a look at some of those obstacles and see if there is a way to circumvent them.  Example:  don’t like getting up early for an 8:00 AM class?  Try reminding yourself that you don’t have to do it every day.  Start with one day a week.  When you struggle to get out of bed that day, remember that you don’t have to do it again for another week.  Tell yourself that you will only go for a little while.  Set a time limit:  “I’ll try it for 15 minutes and if I don’t feel better I’ll stop.” Or tell yourself you’ll take a nap as soon as you get home.  As I’ve often said, getting out of bed is half the battle. Perhaps even more than half.  Once you’re up, you’re already there.  

Years ago I taught a 6:00 AM aerobics class.  Everyone who came was very dedicated, but also half asleep when they showed up.  No one talked at the beginning of class.  Also no one paid attention to what anyone else was doing because it was all they could do to get themselves moving.  So no one cared what anyone else was wearing.  Or whether or not they were keeping the beat or making the same move as everyone else.  But move they did in whatever way worked for each person.  By the end of the class everyone was relaxed, smiling and ready to meet the day.  Sound good?  You, too, can feel that way.  

How about trying a short-term resolution?  Commit to one day a week for 6 weeks. When you complete that, you can make that same resolution all over again.  Or perhaps expand it to a couple of days a week or a longer time frame.  And if your resolve falls apart, make a new beginning.  Here’s a quote from Carl Bard that I’ve always liked:

“Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”

Bite off small chunks and set yourself up for success instead of failure.  Then you can pat yourself on the back and even reward yourself when you achieve that success.  If timing is not your obstacle, take a look at what makes you stumble.  Explore alternatives.  Enlist the help of a friend.  Take it slow.  Let go of expectations and outcomes. The process is what counts.  What you actually accomplish is likely to be totally different from what you expected.  Make your health and well-being a priority.  You won’t be sorry.