Have you ever experienced walking in the wind? There are two things that can happen – you can walk into the wind, pushing harder and harder to take the smallest steps. Sometimes you have to use all of your energy to keep yourself from falling over. Other times, you may be lucky enough to have the wind at your back. In these moments, it can feel almost as if you’re gliding, floating.
When you try to make change in your life, whether it’s small or large, it can often feel like walking in the wind, and most often like walking into the wind. It can feel like an upward battle, as if the world is pushing back, trying to keep you from your goals – deterring you and not supporting you.The key to feeling the wind at your back is simple – love the process.
It is so easy to get caught up in self-doubt, in feeling like each step towards your goals is a struggle that you have to force yourself through instead of one that you approach with love and compassion. I want to show you how easy it is to love the process, to love your life, and to reach your goals.
- Set goals that have meaning for you – You are the one in charge of creating the life that you want, so create goals that lead you to that life. When you can deeply connect to the why behind the goal, it has so much more power to push you forward. For example, if you want to reduce your caffeine intake as you prepare for pregnancy, you could look at it in two ways: Setting a goal to stop drinking coffee may feel like deprivation of something you love, it may feel like walking into the wind; but setting a goal of creating a healthy space for your baby by shifting away from the things that may harm him will likely send you running in that direction. You’ve gone beyond the what and focused on the why.
- Find compassion for yourself – Making change, especially big change, is difficult, and it can take time. Release the expectations that it all needs to happen overnight and that you must be perfect in your new habits 100% of the time. You would likely support a friend who ate that slice of pizza for lunch and regretted it by reminding her that it’s okay to deviate from the plan once in a while, and that is doesn’t represent failure. Learn to tell yourself the same thing. We often push against ourselves by being our own worst critics. When we can let this voice go, or quiet it, we open space to be our biggest fan.
- Have fun – Life should be fun, no matter what. It makes the good times even better and it gets us through the difficult times. When making change, it is so important to have fun with it, or you’re likely not reaping the full benefits of the changes that you are making. If you’re trying to spend more time in the kitchen cooking whole, fresh foods and that’s just never been something you’ve enjoyed, invite some friends over and make a party out of it. When you’re surrounded by those you life, even the things you like least in life become more enjoyable.
I hope you are able to feel more prepared to walk with the wind at your back, pushing you along, instead of struggling as you walk into it. If you would like support as you learn to love the process, I’d love to be that support for you! Let’s chat.
Peace, Love, and Wellness,
