I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to repeat this:
All self-talk is self-hypnosis!
Let me know if this sounds familiar: you have that goal or resolution in mind, you have it all mapped out - the when and the where you’ll do it…
But, there’s an overwhelming feeling of dread that you’ll just disappoint yourself, again!
Trust me, I get it. I’ve been there.
Fear of Hope
Sometimes it feels easier to fail right away rather than go so far and fail later. Fear of hoping it’ll work this time can be even harder than feeling afraid to fail.
How do we get past this?
I used to HATE to exercise. It didn’t take much exertion to get my heartrate up and make my lungs burn. Now I’m a regular runner (okay, more like a walk-jog-walker) and I actually love it!
But before I got there, I started and stopped more times than I have fingers to keep track with.
How did I go from huffing and puffing in misery and stalling out the same week I started, to a regular runner 4 to 5 times a week?
Here’s what worked for me:
I changed what I thought and felt about running. Instead of thinking about past failures or how winded I get, I’d think “What if it’s possible I love running today?”
Then I’d think about how great it feels to finish. How much I love coming home, changing out of my exercise clothes, and feeling tired and happy! I also saved my favorite podcast or audiobook only for that when I’m running.
After a run, I’d reinforce those thoughts and feelings by congratulating myself for little things. Maybe today I pushed through to the end of that one block, when I thought I couldn’t or, maybe, I increased my time a little. Or, maybe I had a hard day and ran even though I felt tired and grouchy the whole time. Good job me!
I changed my mindset from pass/fail (pass if I ran on the days I planned, fail if I didn’t) to a process. Whether I ran all the times I had scheduled or none of them, I was still on the path. (If that sounds familiar, it’s because I mentioned the same technique in getting my daily meditation practice going.)
A path that I saw as ongoing, day by day. Each day was a new opportunity, no matter what came before. And, all I had to focus on was THAT DAY. Nothing else!
Pro Tips:
Other helpful things were joining online challenges where I put a little money on the line and had to run a certain number of days to get it back.
I also signed up for a 5K run with a friend, three months out, so I knew I had to make progress or bail on my friend.
There are so many motivation apps and ways to find a community or partner for extra accountability. Plug into something that works for you.
I believe in you, and I want you to believe in yourself, too!
Remember that life is a practice, not an endgame. You get to keep practicing. Take your goals one day at a time. Even one hour at a time, if it helps.
Find positive parts to focus on and give yourself tons of happy dances for the smallest of progress!
You’ll make a habit out of your new goal in no time, but more importantly, you’ll have fun doing it!
Know anyone who would benefit from these tips?
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