I really hate these kinds of motivational phrases.
“2021 prepared us for 2022”.
Or not.
“Make the most of the journey”.
“Have fun!”
Or not.
.
But I really like these: Today is the day we have, right now. Now is better than later. Perfect is an illusion.
We all get the same number of minutes per day, and this past year ate them up in various ways for all of us. There have been days that I stayed glued to the computer, trying to be productive with exercise and nutrition research, studying, reading, emailing, and of course posting on social media, with 36 open tabs and getting nothing meaningful accomplished for hours. I ignored the rowing machine right there in the living room, and didn’t even go outside for a walk. At the end of a day like that I feel crappy but my mantra is “It’s ok Polli”. And I begin again the next day.
What’s the choice? Quit or simply begin. Getting started is the hardest part. One. Day. At. A.Time.
You might lose motivation at some point, or yup, even quit.
Imagine the obstacles you might encounter down the road and accept that they’ll happen, and think about strategies that you could use to get past them – that’s a core part of building resilience. The benefit of acknowledging the possibility of stumbling is that you’ll be less discouraged when and if it occurs. Then you’ll be more able to pick up and get going again. We tend to overestimate how bad we’ll feel after perceived failures or disappointments, which can prevent us from getting started. And we also don’t realize how happy we’ll feel after getting going and exercising.
Here’s another thing I hate.
Before and after shots.
Happy new all of the remaining days of the year, each one at a time.
Onward.
