Hi friends~
I’m so happy that you’re reading my weekly thoughts. I also love to know yours – this week it’s about choices, and the value of keeping it simple.
Back in my 30’s and 40s I headed up committees for charity galas, events which involved fancy dresses, actual gowns, and oh, all those shoes and bags. I knew instinctively and confidently what to wear, and I shopped and selected the outfits efficiently, usually with little helpers toddling around in the dressing rooms.
It was fun at the time. Until it wasn’t. I lived in a different world then, and by the time I had 6 kids, the social scenes (and my marriage) were no longer viable or healthy for me, and I started to clear my closet of long dresses and heels. Sneakers and spandex, health and fitness certifications took the place of the glamour, and a career helping women get strong has taken the place of charity balls. I’m grounded in this life.
The problem is – I have nothing to wear for a wedding this weekend, and I’ve totally forgotten how to dress up for the classy casual party, the formal wedding, and a brunch the next day. 3 outfits! Oh dear.
Online orders, and 2 fast shopping stops between client sessions have yielded dresses, skirts, tops, pants, shoes, and bags from sources I had never heard of that I found on Instagram (or more accurately, the algorithm found me), plus one chic local store, and I picked up a couple pairs of pants from Costco yesterday. I’ve returned almost everything so far, and as orders keep coming in I’m narrowing it down to the outfits that are basic, simple, and feel comfortable to move around in.
Too. Many. Choices. These are some that feel pretty good.
Although it may sound counterintuitive – a Harvard study found that having fewer choices can promote greater happiness. The theory goes, the more options you have, the more opportunities you have to regret the choice you’ve made. The more choices there are, the smaller the percentage that seems to be “right.”
In a University of Minnesota study published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, having more choices hampers performance and even interferes with people’s ability to focus attention, maintain emotional equilibrium, and can reduce the ability to handle challenging personal situations.
IKYK. Choices abound in the health and fitness space. It can be head spinning. There are so many options touting training and nutrition programs, so I advise a rule of thumb that you run away fast from any that tout superlatives like “the best”, “always”, “the only”… and stick with the basics.
Choices can be exhausting, that’s for sure. Training mobility and strength doesn’t have to be.
I preach and teach training efficacy and efficiency, to help clients (and myself) get strong and stay strong without wasting time or complicating the process.
Although I have gone off the rails with outfits for this weekend, I’m going to apply the same lesson that I use in training – keep it simple and basic.
Now back to taping up boxes for UPS returns.
x
Onward~
Polli
