Making a decision doesn’t make it less hard…it makes it happen

July 15. Up before my alarm so I enjoyed those few minutes as my snooze button and started my morning routine. Those minutes to me are the bonuses of life. If you haven’t heard my rants about the perils of the snooze button and the actual brain research to support it, check out the Confident Sober Women Facebook Group or podcast by the same name. It’s a real thing.

I planned my first workout to be outdoors to avoid to much of the heat and set out with Winnie, my six year old German Shorthaired Pointer.  If you don’t know her she is the best dog that ever lived and has kept us on our toes in more ways than one for all 6 years.

I have lost 4 pounds. And I can feel the change happening that I mentioned yesterday. Food makes such a big difference and my goal in life is to continue to shout that from as many rooftops as I can to help others understand. The inflammation is melting away. The pain is subsiding and being replaced with soreness from the workouts.

Winnie and I set out for a nice slow jog, in the back of my mind I was trying to convince myself or set the goal of jogging for the whole 45 minutes. Right away the objections came. Nope you did 37 minutes last time lets just stick with goal of 30 anything else is a bonus. It went on like that for a while a lot of back and forth.

But you guys, when we do that, not only is it confusing and usually extremely limiting its exhausting. Doesn’t it seem more fitting to set out saying I am going to jog for 45 minutes and if I need to adjust my pace throughout to get it done, then so be it.

That would be a much more action oriented, solution focused, positive way of approaching the task at hand. And as much as I can tell you that I still have to remind myself, obviously.

Plus your brain and body can only go with what you tell it. So if you consistently say “I’m going to try”, or “we’ll see how it goes” you are starting out the experience with a limiting belief. This is a HUGE part of the reason I have ended up in the situation with my health and mindset that I am currently unraveling. To much self limitation.

And let me tell you something I am coming to believe strongly. Making the decision to do something doesn’t make it any less hard, it just makes it happen. It gets it done.

Making the decision to do #75HardChallenge doesn’t make it easy at all. The word Hard is literally in the title. It makes it happen. I believe this is in the top three reasons maybe even number one, why people stay stuck. We always want an out. We want the escape route.

I wish I writing this to say I had done this. Nope. I didn’t. I gave myself the usual escape routes, just get to 30 minutes then power walk, you can stop if you need to, you are going to give it a try. Limiting, limiting, limiting.

How in the ever loving heck am I supposed to make changes in any area if that is the thought process. Because its not just with my health.  Its in my business, relationships and parenting.

I felt relatively fine it was very hot and humid but I set out. Listening to a fabulous book settling in. Thoughts firing off at times. As I got closer to the 30 minute mark (maybe it was the inspiring message of the book), I started to say to myself “how about you just try to stay jogging for 45 minutes.”. Now mind you this is a snails pace, just above a fast walk probably. But the thought seed was planted and I went with it.

Next step, eliminate the try.

I trudged along the minutes added up, I got closer to home and had 5 minutes to go. Thankfully my inner athlete took over at that point and was able to push me forward for those last few minutes in a very positive way. See I did it, was the actual task easy, no. But making the decision to do it earlier on in the process would have taken away the mental energy I expended on managing the limiting thoughts.

Today presents my first real challenge in getting the second workout done. Not really a big one but in my world I get up early to do my exercise and I plan for my power nap in the afternoon.

My oldest DD has to have a medical procedure that will keep me tied up or several hours. And there is also a social event I was hoping to attend tonight. So the plan is, 45 minutes power waking and doing calisthenics in the parking lot. Shoes, shirt and sports bra are already in the car.

I’m already wearing leggings.

Power thought for today. Making a decision to do a thing (even a seemingly small thing in your life), doesn’t make the thing easier, but it does make it happen.

XO,

Shelby