Do you ever wonder why it’s so hard to stick with a plan?
Whether it be eating, exercise, better self-care, keeping your house clean and organized, getting a new venture off the ground or whatever it is you are wanting to do?
Some of it is definitely forming new habits but I know especially with eating there’s this “on a plan” or “off the wagon” kind of a mentality that pervades our culture. It’s there in the other places too, and this kind of thinking IS the hold up to making a sustainable change.
Here is the ONE thing to get really, really good at.
The practice is to keep coming back.
That’s it.
If your focus is eating better, and you slide right off track into the ditch, let the practice that you get stronger at be the practice of coming back.
Really.
It’s like with meditation. I don’t know anyone with a mind that doesn’t wander. It’s what minds do!
The idea that to meditate you have to be really good at keeping focused is a little cray cray. The practice is to notice that you are wandering, and come back. The most seasoned meditators I know are masters at this.
In our current society, we are pulled in so many directions at any one time. Building a skill set of coming back to the task at hand is essential.
And here is a funny thing I’ve noticed:
The practice of coming back to what is working feels really good. Really, really good.
This is where I see the success. It’s not remaining firmly affixed to a rigid regimen. That is not sustainable. For anyone. Ever.
It’s the confidence that when you do fall, you know you will pick yourself up and give it another shot.
My lovely reader, let me offer you an example.
If you are with a baby who is learning to walk (new skill), and they fall, what do you do?
That’s right! You say whoopsie, encourage them to get up and try again, because you KNOW they can do it. If not today, then soon.
Falling is just part of the territory of learning a skill like walking. It happens. It’s not the end of it.
Can you imagine if when the baby falls that you would look at them and say, “whelp, you are worthless. You’ve tried this walking thing twice, and clearly you are a failure. Might as well give up, it’s not going to happen for you.”
I feel nauseated reading that… it’s so very counterintuitive to speak to a baby learning new skills that way.
Why would you treat yourself that way??? Especially learning a new skill or making an important change?
What if you hold the possibility that the change is wonderful, and yes, it will serve you, but that the real opportunity in transforming something is to get really, really good at the not so glamorous part: learning to come back again and again.
Remember that in the act of coming back again and again, the places you go when you slip off track aren’t the same places you used to slip to a while back.
You will see an evolution happening of sorts, and upgrade of the slips. 🙂 Trust me on this one.
I so appreciate your support and continued readership.
If this resonates with you, I’d love to know. Would you drop a comment below and tell me?
With my love,