I had said I wanted to try yoga for months. I told myself for almost a year I needed to get to the gym, learn the equipment, and make fitness a consistent part of my life. This year I was going to create something crafty once a month but so far, I’ve only done three projects. Why is this my life, I kept asking myself?
Mentally I wanted to do more, but physically I stood still. I had all the reasons. I had no one to go to yoga with and it was too new and too many unknowns for me to go alone. The gym would just take time away from being home. The projects just got pushed to the back burner because more things were important…like Hulu.
I became an excuse maker.
Unmotivated.
Not me.
I got tired of being tired.
More than once, I thought I was ready to really make a change, but I wasn’t.
Finally, I was fed up. I was unrecognizable to myself in the motivation department. A past me wouldn’t have recognized myself. I wasn’t happy, but do I deserve to put time and effort into myself? I questioned it. But the truth is you can’t pour into other peoples cups if your cup is empty. And I was empty. It was time to fill it up or stop feeling sorry for myself for not putting in the effort.
When I made the decision that it didn’t matter that I had no one to go to Yoga with, I would sign up and pay for a class anyways it was Sunday…Yoga started on Monday. And so I pulled my gifted five years ago, in mint condition, yoga mat out from Narnia and showed up early to Beginner Yoga the next day.
The teacher was nice, excited I was there and assuring she a modification for every move and it turns out it wasn’t at all weird that I went by myself. And for the record, our bodies were truly made to move, it feels so good to allow ourselves to stretch our whole bodies. I waited YEARS to try yoga for the first time, and honestly I will probably never stop going now that I’ve started.
My body is currently an entirely different substance than it was before I had my son. As time, again years, have passed I’ve neglected physical fitness more and more. Again, it was time to take action or love my body.
I decided to take action.
I got a personal trainer, and it’s going to be interesting, but just following through is already making me feel better. Twice a week I will have a guide to help me become stronger both physically and mentally. I will learn form and machines and wellness tips I’ve never known before. This is who I want to be. This is what I’m choosing.
My mind also pulls me to be creative; to make something with my hands and my ideas, though I often dismiss those desires and brush them off as if they aren’t important.
They are.
Being creative makes me feel excited, happy, accomplished and stimulates more creativity within me.. Every month I want to do at least one creative project. A little trick I’m using this month is my projects are gifts. Each year I make some family members photo calendars as holiday gifts. So I am going to knock those out this month and fulfill my creative urge and get a head start on holiday shopping!
Deciding to do these things and ultimately acting on them are going to cause a big shift in my life. I can feel it.
For you, what are the things you have been wanting to do but brush off, procrastinate, tell your self it’s not important?
Those things, they are your life. You’re stalling your life. Don’t let fear, laziness, lack of resources, negative self talk, or any excuses stop you for even another day.
Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction.
For almost a year I got really good at inaction, but being good at something never felt so terrible.
Today take massive imperfect action towards your goals, and learn to live again.
