I’m writing for the moms who feel the need to be perfect, to feel they have to have it all figured out. Before babies, we probably did have it all figured out. A career or planning vacations or a wedding.
But from the moment you find out you’re pregnant (and after the baby is born), our minds start to postpone our future dreams. It begins to feel like we doubt our capabilities to plan ahead, to dream for ourselves, or to make our own bodies a priority in our life.
We keep expecting that tomorrow is going to be better than today, but we often fall into the same-old routine. Going day to day with the expectation that our health will improve even though we continue to do the same things.
Life as a mom can bring a mixture of emotions … all in one day. I‘ve heard the words “beautiful chaos” describe it very well.
The mom life can be overwhelming some days and you may even find yourself comparing yourself to others, what I like to call “keeping up with the Jones’”. Trying to get everything done on your to-do list can be daunting … to say the least. Going from one task to another, driving from one extracurricular activity to another, or trying to manage everyone’s schedules in your home … the list goes on.
To top it all off, you may be trying to make a healthy lifestyle change. Working towards being a healthier version of yourself, whether it be eating healthier or doing more physical activity.
So why is it that sometimes no matter the new exercise routine you do or the new diet you try, nothing seems to stick? Everything seems to be going great for a while, then a wheel falls off… Why is your new routine not working when it seems to be working really well for someone else?
Newsflash! No one is perfect! And everyone reacts differently to change. In other words, 2 people can be making the same changes but the results will vary for each of them.
But there is a way for it to work!
All you have to do … is just be YOU!
Follow your hearts desires. Set health goals that YOU want to accomplish that will benefit YOU and not anyone else. The reason why you want to make a healthy lifestyle change should only benefit you, your health, your life, your future.
It’s scary and challenging sometimes, but you have to separate from the pact. Go at your own pace, on your own schedule, and in your own style. If you want to make a healthy change in your eating habits, then start small. Take baby steps if you have to. But don’t jump all in just because someone else is doing it and it works for them. The same goes for an exercise routine.
How do you cope with going out on your own? Combatting the doubt, the fear, and the worry that the healthy changes you are making are going to stick.
You don’t have to have everything figured out. You don’t have to have all your ducks in a row to make it work.
You just have to give yourself permission … to be YOU! Be yourself. Give yourself permission to take time for yourself every day and make your health a priority. Break past the fear of change and take a leap of faith!
When you want to make a healthy lifestyle change but doubt yourself (for whatever reason – your capability to maintain a change, your confidence to feel good in your own skin, etc.), keep going! Be confident in every step you take. Confidence is not something we are born with … so you have to keep going. One foot in front of the other until it becomes part of your routine.
One take-away from it all …
Be confident to take the first step, no matter how small. One step forward is better than not moving at all. If you find that something you do doesn’t work, then try something different. Change the pattern. If you are trying to do a couple different things at the same time, keep a journal and write down what you are doing. That way you will know what works for you and what doesn’t. The important thing is to gain the momentum that will keep moving you forward.
Give yourself permission!