Shifting Your Thinking

(This is the longest stretch I've gone without a post, so, I appreciate your patience. Daily traffic has seemed to stay pretty steady just the same, so for that, I also thank you. I'm busily working on an Internet tool that will hopefully raise awareness and accessibility of wellness services in my community. It should be ready to launch in January. More on that very soon...)

The single defining characteristic for a person who consistently (and wholeheartedly) embraces a fitness lifestyle is this:

It's part of who they are.

This is a person for whom regular, challenging physical activity is as natural as showering and brushing their teeth every day. If they went a week without it (other than because of illness and injury) they would feel awful.

So, is that an addiction? Is getting your kids off to school on time every day an addiction? Is eating?

I have a general rule for my clients regarding excuses: It's never about someone else or about other events; it's always about how important it is to you. If you do it, it's important enough. If you don't, it isn't.

There have been times I've gone a week without exercise that had nothing to do with my health. Every summer we go to a farm on a river for family camp and I don't usually get in any structured workout there. That's fine because I'm very consistent throughout the year, so I don't worry about a single week.

My mom hasn't been able to exercise regularly for a few weeks because she has her hands full taking care of my dad after his recent knee surgery. I'm sure she'll resume when things settle down, because her functionality and quality of life are far better when she is working out regularly.

In both of those examples, exercise was less important to us that other current priorities.

That's no cause for judgment. It just is what it is. So the bigger issue is, over the long haul (several weeks to several months and beyond), how important is exercising and eating healthfully to you - really?

Not important enough yet?

Well, today is a new day, isn't it..?

___________________________________________________________________
Being impeccable, you take responsibility for your actions, but you do not judge or blame yourself for anything.

- Don Miguel Ruiz