It's never the right time to get married, have a baby, have another baby, switch jobs, go back to school... In short, there is rarely an ideal time to make a major life change, because change is uncomfortable and disrupting our daily lives and routines is always unsettling. Deciding to make lifestyle changes or go on a detox regimen or new fitness plan is the same. There is always something on the horizon to derail our best-laid plans and our most steadfast motivation: a social event, a trip, a celebration, a visitor, an illness, fatigue, peer pressure. There is always a reason to postpone doing what needs to be done, prolonging our misery which no matter how uncomfortable, is still what feels most comfortable.
27 days ago I decided to embark on a 30 day health challenge, which I will blog about next week (once I have finished the 30 days and had time to really process the experience - which has been profound). Had I really thought about what my life had in store for me in those next 30 days between work, house guests, entertainment, travel, stress, etc., I would have justifiably delayed doing this. However, I was so dismayed by how I felt physically and emotionally about certain choices I had habitually made for awhile, that I decided to Just Do It.
Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles, and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now.
Mark Victor Hansen
Temptation is always lurking. Your family and friends, as much as you love them, will always be there to sabotage you. Each day will offer a new curve ball and a justification for that little devil on your one shoulder to drown out the righteous pleading by the little angel on the other shoulder. But here are some tips for being successful in your reboot plan:
- List your saboteurs. Your partner is either going to become your biggest supporter (hopefully the case) or your worst saboteur. Have a conversation with him/her stating your plans and asking for help. Friends and other family you will be interacting with don't need to know your business but just be cognizant of whom you'll be interacting with and decide beforehand how you'll deal with their efforts to thwart your plans.
- List your temptations and next to each, note a healthy option. For example, if you know that hanging out with your friends by the pool means chips, salsa and beer, and these do not fall into your plan, then arrive with substitutions: fresh cut veggies, cauliflower dip, seltzer or Kombucha.
- Traveling? Decide beforehand what you can bring without requiring the addition of a U-Haul. I made sure I brought hard-boiled eggs, fresh fruit, raw nuts, homemade clean salad dressing. Unfortunately most restaurants are still clueless when it comes to offering healthy, clean dishes so you will (if committing to eating clean) be stuck with a boring salad or grilled protein devoid of delicious herbs and spices. These little extras will help.
- Be clear on WHY you are doing this. Are you cleaning out the system? Trying to lose weight? Investigating possible allergens? Confronting addiction? Whatever your reason, be as clear as possible and come back to that everytime you are are tempted to "just this one time" indulge. Feeling great, strong and committed is better than the temporary pleasure from pasta or ice cream or 3 drinks.
Stay tuned and stay strong :)
