I have a secret for you. You have the power to make choices to improve your health. I know sometimes we want to make these changes but it is overwhelming and hard and we feel like we need to wait for the right moment to be successful. The good news is you actually don’t have to wait for anything. You can start making those changes right now. In this post I am going to share with you why you don’t have to wait to start this journey.
There Is No Such Thing As The Perfect Time
If I had to count the amount of times I’ve said, “I’ll start Monday” I would run out of numbers. This is probably one of the most said phrases when it comes to health and wellness. We all seem to think Monday has this magical power, Monday and January! The truth is there is magic in every day you just have to find it!
I host a lot of wellness challenges and when I do I always start them on a random day of the week. People always ask “Why didn’t we start on Monday?” and my response is always “because I wanted to show you, you can start on any day and be successful.”
Navigating holidays can be overwhelming when trying to make healthy choices. I know that is why so many people want to wait until they are over to start. While I can completely understand and relate to that there is a problem with that thinking. We are trying to make lifestyle changes here, not just find short term solutions. Getting healthy is more than just going on a diet.
When we wait for the holidays to be over we are telling ourselves that this is an all or nothing thing. And the truth is, it’s not. You are not going to avoid holidays, special events, and vacations for your entire life so you are going to have to learn how to balance those things. So you might as well just start making healthy changes now instead of waiting!
Getting Started On Your Journey To Success
Getting started is always the hardest part and I think that is because we all think of getting started as this drastic change of events. Usually when people start a diet it is a complete overhaul of their lifestyle. They revamp how they are eating entirely and all at once and because of that it is overwhelming to start. Rightfully so!
The good news I have for you is that you don’t actually have to start that way. This can’t be an all or nothing journey. It isn’t that you’re on a diet 100 percent of the time or not at all. If you go in with that mentality you are setting yourself up to fail.
So how can you start without making drastic changes? It’s actually a lot easier than you think. Your focus should be on making small changes. Think about your day, what is something small you can change? Maybe you have soda or a glass of wine with dinner. So instead of that you drink water instead. You could eat fruits or vegetables for your mid meal snacks instead of the bag of chips you get from the vending machine at work. You could also start moving more. Maybe you spend 20 minutes of your lunch break walking instead of chatting or heck pull along your friend and walk and chat at the same time!
These little changes don’t seem like a lot, that’s because they aren’t a big change to make. That’s the key to their success. These small changes work because you can easily implement them into your day without feeling overwhelmed or stressed out and because of that you will stick to them!
But Is It Too Late?
“I’m already stuck in my ways, I can’t change.” “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” You totally can’t with that attitude that’s for sure! But the truth is, it isn’t too late. If you really want to make a change you can do it. You just have to be willing to put in the work and effort to make it happen.
If you feel yourself relating to this section then I strongly recommend really starting this journey with small steps. I know I recommend that in general usually anyway but for people who have this mentality it is the most important. Forget the end result, forget how long it may take to get to your goal and just commit to making one small change in your lifestyle.
Since this is a lifestyle we are trying to adapt there is no end date. You don’t need to accomplish everything by a certain time frame so stop stressing yourself out about that. Just show up and start right now!
There is no better time than right now to start making changes. You have all the power you need to get started. Stop making excuses, stop looking for the perfect moment. There is no perfect moment and once you realize that you will see the path so much more clearly! So what are you waiting for! Get started right now!
I talk all about my journey and how I started on Episode 7 of The Coffee Donuts Fitness Podcast, Returning To The Gym: One Mom’s Journey. Click the button below to listen in!
