Why Expecting Chaos Can Help You Get Healthy
I set a big goal for myself this year, and I almost gave up three weeks in. Me! The health coach! Here’s what happened.
This year, my family and I are taking the 1000 hours outside challenge (I highly recommend you check it out here). The goal is simple: get outside for 1000 hours in a year. Though simple, it isn’t an easy goal. It requires, on average, three hours outside per day. And, factoring in the miserable CT winters , I was trying to capitalize on our time in sunny Florida by getting in at least five hour days.
This was going swimmingly (pun intended) the first week of our trip, and our hours were quickly accumulating. I felt committed, excited, and determined. But on day eight, in an attempt to save my son from whacking his head on our patio, I landed badly and hurt my shoulder and arm.
Almost immediately, all my goal-oriented momentum and motivation vanished. I felt annoyed at myself for falling, crabby that doing even simple tasks was painful, and especially irritated that my favorite activity–walking–was no longer pleasant. My throbbing shoulder felt like a dead weight on my spirit.
After my fall, I spent almost two days cooped up inside, ruining our streak of 5 hour days. Screw it, I thought. We probably weren't going to get 1000 hours anyway.
And then I was driving, reflecting on a conversation I had with a client about how important it was to abandon the all-or-nothing mindset. There was nothing–I told her–more detrimental to progress than expecting perfection. It hit me that I was falling into that very mindset trap. I was letting one obstacle completely derail my progress toward my goal.
How many times have you let one bad day, one mistake, or one setback cause you to abandon your goal?
Here’s the reality. Every single time we set a goal, we’re going to encounter obstacles. They may be physical (an injury, a stomach bug, a bad night of sleep) or they might be mental (a bad breakup, a crappy day, a limiting belief we cling to). Either way, they’re going to show up, and we have to be prepared. We have to be ready to fight. We have to be willing to get thrown off track and recommit.
Today, I got six hours outside. I took my son to the park instead of doing our usual long walks. I got creative so I could stay committed, and I hope this random, but real-life experience encourages you to do the same.
XO,
Kara
