Monday, November 10, 2014

Do the next right thing



Do you ever get stuck in the  rut of few bad days? No matter how careful your planning is or how motivated you are to reach your goals, it can and probably will happen at least once. You know what I’m talking about. One bad decision after another after another. Then, all the sudden, you find yourself so far off from your goals and it feels impossible to start again.  You have allowed the snowball to build. Roll down the hill. Until you have what I call.. ….

The Ugly Snowman of Self Deprecation!

(working on the name…. )

This snowman is horrible to you! He tells you that you are a failure. That you can’t do this. That you aren’t good enough. You are stuck in a cycle of bad decisions and now you are smacked with reality being stuck and vulnerable.

Well, I am here to tell you it doesn’t have to be that way! You do not have to let the snowball build, grow arms and legs, and become a giant ugly snowman.

Try this next time you find yourself at the bottom of a processed cheese like snack bag….

Stop. Have a tall glass of water. Then go look at yourself in the mirror and say:

“Enough. I accept myself, unconditionally, as I am right now.”

This is my favorite quote from motivational speaker Louise Hay.

You can reset your mind to strive for progress and accept yourself along the way. I said Progress… not perfection. Do not allow your snowball to turn into the ugly hurtful snowman. You aren’t so far off your goals that it’s time to throw every day of good progress away. It is never too late to do the next right thing.

For me, this year has been a one continuous day after day of doing “the next right thing”. I understand how hard to start a new routine, especially if you overhauling your entire life style.  But you know what? You can empower yourself today. You can take back the control every time to do the next right thing. What do you have to lose when you try?

Next time you find yourself at the bottom of your bag cheese doodles, stop. Look at your cheesy self in the mirror and try this out:

1- Recognize what triggered you in the first place.  Was it drama with a friend? Family issues? Miss a few workouts? Did someone say something negative or  not supportive about your goals?

2- Acknowledge what happened. “OK. So that just happened. I got upset or nervous and took it out on myself.”

3- Allow yourself to feel whatever emotion is coming up.  “Jeez, this sucks right now.”  But don’t linger here…. Move on to step 4 …

4- Affirm your commitments/goals/desires . “I am working towards an important goal that I am worthy of achieving.”

5- Do the next right thing. Toss the bag, go for a walk, call a supportive friend, hug your pet. Just do the next right thing. Don’t let the snowball happen!

For me, the next right things is almost always water. Good, clean, refreshing, purifying, cleansing water.

With a squeeze of lemon.

And maybe some ginger if you are feeling fancy.

Ooo or a little umbrella. (Now that’s going too far….)

Try it out next time you feel yourself slipping. And remember, it’s really hard to regret drinking water. 

Cheers to you!

2 comments:

  1. So do I! IKEA frozen yogurt to be exact. Not exactly "clean eating" but it helps keep the snowball situation at bay. ;)

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