My client, Jackie inspired me to tackle this week’s blog topic. She was travelling for the last 10 days, then prepped for a vacation (that was unexpectedly cancelled because of wildfires), and now is hosting company at her house, oh and YES she works full-time.
Even with being out of her routine and last minute changes, guess what hasn’t fallen off Jackie’s to-do list – her movement practice!
She’s unstoppable here and it’s because the actions she takes to support her weight & wellness are not circumstantial, they are her priority. Moving her body is not a struggle, she says, it’s actually fun, “it’s just part of me now.” There’s a very different energy when things shift to become a TRUE priority and not just something we fit in when it’s convenient, or we’re in the mood, or freshly motivated.
A much different story compared to Jackie earlier this year. In March, she’d already made A LOT of progress with her boundaries, her eating habits, and her mindset but movement / exercise was still a sticking point. It was a victim of her schedule, her work, her commute: her motivation to exercise hinged on her circumstances:
Was she too tired?
Did her commute last longer than normal?
Was she out of town and out of her routine?
Was there too much work to do?
Was it raining?
Now you and I both know Jackie’s not alone in letting movement (or any other healthy habit) be at the mercy of circumstances. The #1 thing I hear when I talk to women who want to lose weight is that SOMETHING ALWAYS COMES UP that throws them off track. That’s the true, REAL situation a lot of women are dealing with. And it’s frustrating + it’s defeating + it zaps your motivation. But there’s a solution: Jackie learned something over the last few months that really made a difference-
Weight-loss is the ability to make beneficial decisions in less than ideal circumstances
And the only thing she’d probably add to that statement is that you have to make those beneficial decisions over and over and over again! Making the decision to do what you know is good for you and your body over and over and over again is the solution.
So, if you’re where Jackie was a few months ago, how can you get back in control of your circumstances?
There’s a LOT that Jackie has done to make movement part of her lifestyle (without the struggle, without aggressively trying to squeeze it into a day built around competing priorities). And a lot of her success has to do with support, consistent action, and redefining her priorities, but for now I can give you the same steps Jackie used in the beginning, so you can at least get yourself started:
1.) Motivate yourself – Clarify what this change will do for you? Movement was the last piece of the puzzle for Jackie, and she knew that when she became consistent with movement, her body would feel incredibly different and she would finally, finally feel like she was doing everything in her power to change her body and be as healthy as she could be!
2.) Identify the circumstances you feel are blocking you. If I asked Jackie why she wasn’t exercising she would say it’s hard because of the hours spent at work, a ridiculously long commute, wanting to exercise outside and being at the mercy of the weather. If I were to ask you, why aren’t you _____, what is your automatic response? These are the circumstances you feel are blocking you from making progress.
3.) Remember you’re in control. Make this your new mantra, “You are not a victim of circumstance. You are the product of your own decisions.”
4.) Create a consistency calendar and track how often you take that healthy action. Consistency is an indication of our current priorities, and tracking how often you take action is the only way to truly know if you’re being consistent. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy, Jackie used a printable monthly calendar.
Consistency is an indication of our current priorities.
I wanted to let that last part sink in…if you’re struggling to lose weight, or change your body, or just get traction with healthier habits that must be your priority and you must act on the priority consistently. Jackie did it, and you can to!
Let me know what circumstances are keeping you stuck. Comment below and tell me where what comes up each time you try to lose weight or start a new healthy habit. Identify it so you can move on!