It’s fall ya’ll!
Which, you may know, is bittersweet for me, because I love being outdoors, and hiking, and nature, and the color changes are amazing, but fall also means winter is coming.
Since it is a little cooler, and the sun has been out, I’ve been keeping the kiddos busy outside as much as possible. The other day while hiking with the kiddos in a nearby Nature Preserve, Audubon Acres (and also the home to the Thrive Yoga Festival), we crossed a swinging bridge and had some fun crossing over it.
My youngest is 2, and rather fearless, and my oldest is 4, not quite as fearless but both of them are pretty, um, well, let’s just say “confident.”
We hit the bridge and my daughter started out at a sprint, my son right behind her. They got a little way in and noticed the ground moving beneath them, and froze. They looked back at my husband and me and looked to us for an explanation.
We smiled and explained what a swinging bridge was.
We eventually got them across with smiles and a bit of adrenaline flowing with the excitement, but it got me to thinking….
How many times have I sprinted towards something new and unknown only to freeze mid-way because it was different?
Sometimes, I just quit –out right quit.
Like the first time I tried to move out on my own: I was 18, full of “it” (which should really have an SH on the front of it) got ALL my stuff moved into my fancy new duplex when I saw a cockroach, as I was unpacking, screamed and drove home. I didn’t even spend one night in that space.
Nope, not a single night.
Other times, I get moving full steam and keep going even though all the signs around me are saying, STOP STOP STOP!!
(I don’t want to get too deep here but suffice it to say I have plenty of examples of that in my life, and I hope that I can teach my children what NOT to do from all the times I didn’t do the right thing.)
Well, today, I want to talk about the stuff in the middle. The times where it makes sense to keep going and try the “something new,” whatever it is, even if it’s unusual (and probably scary).
What is something that you’ve been trying to do or accomplish this year that just seems so out of reach?
- Are you working towards a backbend but you feel like it’s impossible?
- Are you trying to establish healthy sleep habits and still end up drinking one too many glasses of wine and watching Zombie movies too late which of course gives you nightmares ? (oh wait, is that just me?)
- Maybe you just want to learn how to take a deep breath before losing your stuff at your loved ones because that’s become second nature?
Here’s the thing, none of these things are easy to just quit. Of course, we’ve all heard of the one person that just decided one day after 30 years to quit doing something like smoking, and succeed, but for every one person that does successfully quit cold turkey, there are countless others that have just said, “F this, its not worth it, I want my XYZ”
I am certainly no therapist, and I don’t claim to be, but I want to encourage you as your friend.
Don’t give up.
Whatever it is that you want to do, you CAN do, just work towards it. Accomplish one little thing every day towards your goal and see where you end up after 365 little steps.
You can establish healthy eating, sleeping, relationship habits, but it takes practice. The way to do it isn’t a secret.
The Not So Secret Way to Reach Your Wellness Goals
- It takes recognition of the goal you want to accomplish, and then
- it takes lots and lots of steps towards your goal.
- Never ever ever give up (that’s an affiliate link to my most loved motivational book-it’s quotes of Susan B. Anthony)
(as long as you don’t give up)
You may knock it out of the park the first time and never look back. Or, you may be more like me, and need lots and lots of little steps, full of intention and dedication. You will get where you want to be, but only if you don’t give up.
Today, I encourage you to keep going.
It is October 2019. We have less than 2 years before a whole new decade starts. A DECADE! 😱
Whatever bridge you have to cross to get to your goal, don’t freeze on it. Just keep taking one step at a time. Look for the signs that you’re going in the right direction, but then keep taking action towards your final goal. You’ll get there, IF you keep taking steps.
Join your friends at Thrive Yoga and Wellness and keep making steps towards your goals. In these last few days of 2019, don’t wait for the new decade to sneak up on you, take small, directed steps towards your goal, and finish this year strong. Whether you want to finally do that backbend (practice one every single day!) or go to sleep without nightmares (definitely turn that TV off!), keep taking smaller actionable steps towards your goal, and meet me on Jan 1, 2020 with a new, amazing appreciation for all the hard work you’ve done, and with a view from that new goal.
If you’d like some accountability, come join the studio! We have a #last90dayschallenge special at the studio where you can get a 3 month unlimited membership for just $99 (that saves you $60!). If you’re not in the Chattanooga area, check out Thrive Online. It’s an awesome online community dedicated to yoga and yoga inspired wellness. You’ll get to workout with me live every week, and access to a growing library of workouts, tutorials, live classes and so much more! Don’t wait til the New Year to get started on YOU, work today and start 2020 off with a BANG!
By Jennifer Dixon ERYT 500 and Authorized Ashtanga Yoga Teacher by Manju Jois.