Have you ever wanted to improve your life, but it seems like you get stuck along the way? Or, you make a decision to commit to change (save a certain amount of money, lose 10 pounds, get a better job or career), and then you try for a bit and get frustrated that you aren’t making good progress so you stop? Then you circle back the next time you are frustrated and make the whole commitment over again, only to experience the same frustrating cycle? If your answer to this is YES, then you know where I’m coming from. We are creatures of pleasure, and we want to see immediate results. When we don’t see the change we want fast enough, we usually give up. Status Quo. Or, are you not even sure what you want, what goals to set, or what you want your life to look like in 5-10 years? Again, we halt in working for something for lack of not knowing where to go. Status Quo.
Belly fat, flab, muffin top. Ugh, you know, that little bit (or lot) of doughy fat around the midsection, that gets more stubborn the older we get? that Ugh! I'm sure I'm not the only one who has had frustration with understanding why it's there, and of course trying to get rid of it! Well we may not all be able to have “washboard” abs, but we can certainly lean out that tire a little bit ;). In fact, I’m working to slim mine down now to get ready for summer - YAY!!!
Let's start with some background. What is that fat? Why does it seem like an endless battle to get rid of it? …Read here for strategies!
There are many opinions about “New Year”, resolutions, etc. Whatever people say, I’m actually a big fan of celebrating the coming New Year. I know it’s just a constructed concept really, but it really feels like a reset to me, so I treat it as such! Taking time off from the day to day routine, work, and spending extra time with those we love really feels like an event in itself, and therefore, I like to use it to reflect on my past year, and figure out what I want to carve out in the coming year (and I LOVE Change, so this is my time to create it). I’ve reflected a lot about what to focus on this year. Yes I have “goals”, but I’ve been thinking more about how I want to be in 2019. How do I want to behave differently? How do I continue to challenge myself, to grow and to stretch, and ensure that I don’t lose sight and attention to the things I mentioned above that I’m grateful for? My past has been a strong pendulum of change, where I swing one way, and then when it becomes too much, I swing the opposite. How do I dampen these swings so that I take care of the people I love, and nurture my need for change and growth? Goals can take any form, and I recommend having some goals around your health and fitness
Read here for my shortlist of key behaviours to focus on!
Following up from my last blog, I want to share the second part of my random thoughts about kindness.
Last week’s post focused on kindness outwards, but equally (if not more) important, is kindness inwards. Being kind to oneself is not always easy, and takes different forms. I’m going to share my thoughts on this, but please take it all with a grain of salt. This is only what I know based on my experience in this life.
I truly believe that kindness to oneself is like a diamond - multi-faceted - and we need to take the face we need in any given moment. The one thing that remains constant is the need to see ourselves objectively, name our present situation for what it is, and be truly honest with ourselves. In the moment when we decide what kindness we need to give ourselves, it has to be from a place of love for ourselves and not from a place of distorted reality or denial. For example, I have a way of knowing what I need most but "thinking" myself into never doing it. I have a way of rationalizing myself into denial about my deepest needs.
We can be unusually cruel to ourselves. We beat ourselves up for the way we look, not getting up earlier to get more done, not being a patient parent, not exercising enough, not phoning our parents often enough, eating too much, not eating healthy enough, not being “strong” in the face of hardship. The list is neverending, depending on your situation. Being kind to ourselves takes a strong set of boundaries, and a willingness to do the thing you need to do, and not the thing you THINK.
Warning! This advice is NOT sexy, and you will be disappointed. I deal in TRUTHs and not in telling you what you think you want to hear. There are no quick fixes and easy ways to achieving what we want - especially ones that are worth having (and those that relate to a billion dollar weight loss industry for that matter).
I just read a really interesting book called “Looking Out for Number 1” (which by the way has been around FOREVER, but was re-written to be relevant this decade). I can hear the judgemental thoughts about the title already, but hold up - this book is not about being selfish. It’s actually a business book about what’s really holding you back from focusing on getting what you want…
![A Token New Year Post [2019]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53879570e4b0422ca6697db1/1551241288217-KL1E8GZZFLO3HUZCV9R9/image-asset.jpeg)
