Change is hard

Change is part of life.  Our friends, routines, jobs, families, and practically everything else is in constant flux. Sometimes change is for the better and sometimes it's not. But it is inevitably going to happen. After a couple decades of fighting this notion, I have come to accept this. I used to fight it with all I had. I wanted things to remain the way they were. There is comfort in things remaining the same. I am of the opinion, however, that this is an illusion. A wise person once told me that you're either going forwards or backwards, never staying the same. Put another way, the only way we can coast is if we're going downhill.

Changes to our health and wellness are like any other change in our lives. We all go through various stages in that process. We aren't always aware that change is necessary. We might put on that 5 extra pounds over the holidays and maybe, for much of our lives, we tightened things up and got it back off in a month. As we get into our 30s,40s, and 50s this becomes more difficult. Maybe it doesn't quite come off as fast or come off at all? Life has gotten busier and there are more days at the ballpark or work and we start to grab more food for convenience and don't get to the gym as often as we used to. Before we notice, that 5 pounds has turned to 30 and we don't love the way we look in the mirror so much. But how will we find the time? Then go to our annual physical and our doctor puts on some meds for our blood pressure or cholesterol. This masks the immediate problem but doesn't fix the underlying problem or the way we feel when we look in the mirror everyday.

We know we need to do something, but what do I do? We don't have the bandwidth to think or time to get online and wade through the myriad of different diets and workout routines, much less fit it into our schedule. But I don't really feel good. I'm tired all the time and I have zero energy. I have to do something. At this point, the process of making a change has been almost entirely internal. But now we're fed up with where we are! We have moved from not knowing we have a problem, to knowing we do and not being ready to do anything about it. Now we are ready to prepare and then take some action.

How to prepare? We can do a deep dive and try to figure things out on our own, going through the trial and error process which can take years. I can attest to this because I did it. It was a painstaking process in which I learned a lot but only by making all the mistakes. It did serve me well, but I have a passion for fitness and nutrition that not everyone has. Is there an easier way?

You need to start by setting some long range goals. Perhaps you have already done this in your head but we should probably get them on paper so it's more tangible. We do this in our Free Intro process at Serenity. Write them on paper and stick them on your fridge, put a reminder in your phone, or place them somewhere you'll see frequently as a tangible reminder why you are making the changes.

Taking action is the next move. This action does not have to be a dramatic shift in everything. In fact, it probably shouldn't be too much. You should consider it in the context of your whole life. If making this change adds a significant amount of stress or is extremely difficult to implement, consider starting with a smaller task. Take your long range goal and break it down into to some interim goals that are achievable. This will enable us to experience early success and as the saying goes, success breeds success. Serenity Nutrition follows this approach with our one-on-one coaching clients.

Continue to stack these small changes on top of each other and you'll begin to move the needle. Small, consistent changes will move you towards your long term goal and will build actual habits. This is the opposite of what many people seek. It is not a quick fix "magic pill" solution and quite honestly that's not what you need. Actual habit change goes with you on vacation or when you go out to eat. They are rooted in discipline and they are sustainable over the long term. This phase of change can be challenging and requires ongoing effort.

There are going to be times when we want to say screw it, I don't want to do this!! You may even slip back into some old habits or abandon your plan entirely. What should you do if this happens? It's important to remember that just because you had a slip, that slip doesn't define the person you are or want to become. If I go out to eat and go totally off the rails, I just get right back on track at my next meal. If I miss a week at the gym, I just show up the next Monday. I have seen countless people have a bad week and allow that to turn into 6 months. In these moments, it is extremely helpful to have an accountability partner. At Serenity, if you miss 5 days at the gym you will hear from us. Our nutrition coaches expect to get a message from you multiple times a week and if you don't they will be asking you what's going on. Now maybe you were sick or life dealt you a challenging week. It happens. But if we don't have that external voice of encouragement and support, we will rationalize behaviors that do not lead us to our goals.

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Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash