Flexibility and Balance

Now, I’m a huge believer in routine and goal setting.  It is critical to success and if they are not part of the strategy, we will not get where we want to go.  I stress this constantly in session and spend lots of time working on it with clients.  Understanding this is so important because once someone becomes proficient in goal setting, literally anything is possible. 

Now, that being said, I am also a huge believer in flexibility.  So, if for example, you start a work out and something feels off… you are excessively tired, you feel headachy or nauseous, that nagging pain in your knee simply won’t go away, etc….it is ok, and I mean 100% ok to change the plan in the moment.  Say you go to do your thing (whatever that thing is) and you try but are struggling in a way that is not typical for you and is different than the regular pushing against your comfort zone.  But you keep on pushing and pushing but STILL have that fatigue or headache or nausea or that nagging pain in your knee, STOP.  STOP what you are doing.  Because while routine and goal setting are super important, what is equally important is learning to listen to your body and the messages it is sending you.  This does not mean that if something is difficult and your body says “hey, this is hard” you should quit.  That’s not it at all.  This is about learning to listen to the ques your body gives you.  So listen.

Your body is smart, super smart.  And your body often knows what’s going on well before your brain.  Yet at the same time, it is totally possible for your brain to talk your body out of doing something that isn’t pleasurable in the moment.  See, goal setting and attainment are really all about perseverance and staying the course.  For the goal to stick, it must be more important than the immediate gratification, whatever that is.  But…it is ok to take a break if you need it.  It is ok to skip a work out here and there.  It is ok to eat a piece of cake now and then.  It is ok to take care of you in a way that deviates from the plan.  When it becomes a problem is if these “breaks” turn into habits and that need and/or desire for immediate gratification starts to take hold and root you to the spot. 

Merriam Websters says the definition of negativity is “marked by absence, withholding, or removal of something positive.”  So if you think about it, negativity is pretty much not doing something.  And negativity is a very, very easy place to slip into.  That’s why it is critical that the long term goal you are working toward is something you are truly passionate about. 

But remember…everyone has a day where they feel like crap, either physically, emotionally, mentally, overall, whatever.  EVERYONE FEELS LIKE CRAP SOMETIMES.  So when things are a miss, be kind to yourself.  Don’t beat yourself up because you skipped a workout because you were not feeling well.  Don’t beat yourself up because you had a piece of cake.  Don’t beat yourself up really ever.  It’s not helpful.  Focus on the positive and be sure to set goals you are passionate about.  Once that happens, finding balance and flexibility as you move toward that target is much easier.  You won’t fall off track because the long-term vision is something you are willing to work toward because you want it to be your reality.