I've been on a mission this year to get back in the game of writing, to get away from hiding behind editing, and to whip my body back in shape. So far, I've conquered two of the three, but this weight thing will be a work in process for a while.
For my
#MondayMotivation post, I thought we could work through some of the things that I've had to work on this year to get out of my slump. And since everyone loves lists, that's how I'm going to map it out for you. We'll start with three things to get you going.
1. DECLUTTER YOUR LIFE
The first thing I did this year was clear out the clutter from my home, my life, and yes, even from some of my friends. (If you'd like some tips on getting started, here's a great website:
http://zenhabits.net/declutter/)
I took much needed writing time and set it aside to clean the two years of crap hanging around my house. My family was great at taking care of me while I was sick, but not so good at deep cleaning the house.
Cleaning up my life was probably the hardest thing I've done. We changed our
eating habits, added excercise (on a somewhat daily basis) and took care of some odds and ends that I'd put off for so long.
Everyone has those friends that are just
energy drains, right? I bet you can name at least a handful of people that qualify. I know I can. It doesn't mean they are not great people, but for you, they are a dilemma in the motivation department. And sometimes, the quickest way to get back on track is taking out the obstacles keeping you behind.
2. TAKE A MOMENT WITH THE MIRROR
I'll be honest, from the neck down, the mirror is not my friend. I don't mind my face so much, I kind of even like it, but years of battling cancer and a healthy addiction to sugar have not been kind to my body.
My hubby actually has been more help in this department. I've joined Weight Watchers to battle the bulge, but he's repeatedly told me that he thinks I'm beautiful no matter what. (ahhh...)
It wasn't until we had a few forced meetings with the mirror and sometimes in the nude before I started believing him. I am still the beautiful woman he fell in love with, there's just more of me. lol.
And once you tackle the battle with the
mirror, learn to love yourself the way you are, you're life will start to swing in a different direction. Even if your issue isn't physical, if you're having trouble with motivation, I'll bet you're also having trouble staring at yourself and admitting that you love yourself.
3. DON'T STAND STILL
I've had a lot of conversations about this topic lately. When you stop and stand still you slump. Try it. Get up. Stand in place for a good five to ten minutes. What is happening to your body structure? Your legs are probably bent, you're fidgeting maybe, swaying, your shoulders are probably curved forward. Now sit down. Does the idea of just standing still make you tired now?
When we stand still, we get in a cycle of redundancy. Every night you come home to the same thing. Every morning you dread work because it's the same thing. It's rinse and repeat at its worse.
If you don't set goals, can't see the path before you, you're standing still and you're slumping. It's horrible for motivation and even worse for you. So, today,
break your cycle. If you come home every night from work, kick your feet up on the recliner and eat fried takeout, change it up. Stop at the grocery, grab the fixings for something healthier, cook, go through the mail, excercise, call a friend. Do anything that is different from your normal routine.
I can't promise you miracles, but I can tell you from experience that it'll change you. Let's start with these three big things and then work through to the easier stuff.
If you have tried any of these three things lately, please share with us your results. I can't wait to get into this conversation. Let's talk people!
