Hey Team,
Let’s head into this year at our own pace, hey?
And let’s be kind to ourselves in the process.
After all, as the saying goes, if being hard on ourselves worked we’d all be perfect by now.
So let’s give ease and self-kindness a whirl.
And let’s try to let go of our ideas of what we “should” be doing and do what works for us instead.
If you like starting things with a bang, go ahead and jump into your plans.
If you like to ease your way in at the start, feel free to amble into the year.
If you feel that the change from one year to another is fairly arbitrary, don’t let anyone tell you any different.
When it comes to starting, restarting, continuing, or changing fitness and wellness plans, any day will do.
If New Year’s Day feels motivating for you, then it’s a good day to get underway.
If it feels like pressure and stress, then you can choose to ignore it entirely for now and pick a whole different day to start.
And/or you can do the easiest version of your possible plan and see how it feels.
For example: If you want to get into strength training this year, deliberately lift the can of soup or your water bottle a couple of times before you open it and call that workout number 1.
And whether you go all in or inch forward in your own direction and at your own pace, let’s really consider ease as part of the process.
Ease doesn’t just mean easy.
It doesn’t mean we won’t seek (and find) ways to try new things and challenge ourselves.
It means choosing a route without unnecessary obstacles.
It means minimizing the metaphorical static around our tasks.
It means finding a way that feels more like ‘Ok, I can try that.’ that ‘Ugh, do I have to?’
Basically, I’d love to see you moving and breathing and meditating and resting in ways that serve you well, in ways that feel good to you, in ways that help you feel like yourself, without all the pressure of ‘must do’ and ‘you should.’
So, as we move through this month of Go Team! posts, I’m going to be offering gentle reminders of different ways to think about your fitness plans, about your approach to movement and rest, and about how you view this whole process.
And I will be celebrating your daily efforts with a gold star because I love the idea of rewarding effort instead of results.
I personally find it very encouraging to reward myself for my efforts. And since my coaching clients enjoy being rewarded for theirs, I can only assume that lots of people feel the same way.
So, whether you are jumping in, easing in, or considering how and when you may want to jump or ease in, I applaud the work you are putting into the process.
Here’s today’s gold star:
