Recently, I’ve been paying attention to what I like and don’t like, what brings me joy, and what does not bring me joy, what is thrilling and terrifying in a ‘growth’ way, and what is thrilling and terrifying but does not serve me. It’s all data, and the good thing about data is once you have it, you can decide what to do with it.
How often do we allow ourselves to get stuck b/c we’re trying to do something we don’t want to. Maybe we’ve been told we should, perhaps we think we should, maybe sometimes we feel better when we do, but is it worth it?
Let’s use the example of working out.
If you wanted to work out, you’d work out, and it wouldn’t be a thing. If you’re one of those (crazy) people who love to work out, and you work out every morning, then we’re done here.
But what about those of us who do not love to work out? Does your internal dialogue sound something like this:
I really should work out
I know I’ll feel better if I do work out, but…
I don’t want to get up early
I don’t like to _ [fill in the blank].
I don’t have the time.
OK, great; well seen.
BUT THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU SIT AND DO NOTHING.
Consider: What DO you want to do?
Maybe you don’t want to hike a mountain, but you could go for a walk. Perhaps you don’t want to ride for 20 miles, but you can for 6 miles. Maybe you’d rather SUP instead.
What do you LOVE to do? What do you WANT to do?
And here’s what not to do:
NOT to work out and then beat yourself up for it. That’s helpful.
Befriend yourself. Don’t make you do something you don’t want to do. Stop trying to jam the square peg of yourself into the round hole of someone who loves to work out.
If you don’t want to, it’s OK, but then find something else you’d love to do and do that.
