Straight Talk: be honest with yourself

Ok, I'm going to be real with you- I've had a rough week. I was sick, didn't make it in to the gym, and felt completely off my game. I know, I know. I'm the one always posting about health and fitness, discipline, and goals. But you know what, some days I just don't have it. So I spent some time on the couch, eating poorly, and falling behind on my work. But honestly, who hasn't had those days/weeks/maybe months? Sometimes life happens and we don't get to focus on our goals 100%. I'm not telling you this as an excuse. I'm sharing because I think it's more important that we be honest with ourselves and love ourselves enough to allow for the down time when we really need it. My body needed some rest and recovery time last week. So I let it rest. End of story.

We can be so hard on ourselves at times that we don't think we "deserve" a break from the focus, or that we haven't earned a night of relaxation. We try to cling so tightly to our goals that our good intentions end up leading to feelings of self-hatred, disappointment, and anxiety around completing our goals. One thing that helped me these last few ways was a friend's video on "have to-dos" vs. "want to-dos". I realized I'm the one putting all this pressure on myself. So I can be the one to let go a little.

It's amazing the control and strength we can gain from letting go. We regain control of our emotions and negative thoughts that had been plaguing us. We get to take ownership of that to-do list and determine what can be delegated or cut from the list. We understand that allowing for a day of rest may actually give us the strength we need to be 100% focused for the rest of the week.

So I encourage you: let go of the control, give in to what you body needs; and you will come out restored, focused, and clear on how to conquer the goals you determined!

Have you had this experience? What did you learn about yourself? How did you reframe your actions for better long term results?