Starting anywhere is better than not starting at all.
This year has tested me greatly. And I didn’t even see it coming from a mile away. There have been so many changes that I haven’t even been able to keep up with. And while we know, the only thing that’s constant is change — it doesn’t mean we’re always prepared to handle it when it happens. However, I have tried to keep some tools in my arsenal to fire back at life’s challenges in a way that keeps me safe and afloat, but this year I needed new tools. I would often read, write, or talk to others — but I found solace in something different this year. Movement. I found that for me, in this new season, movement was the key.
The issue is, I didn’t know where to start. In this age of social media movement is trendy. The Pilates girlies love posting their outfits with the ballerina socks and the matcha after (Which don’t get me wrong, I love a good Pilates sesh, and matcha reward after too.) We also have the gym girlies posting in their gymshark fits, with their discount codes. And then you have your runner girlies with the latest technology and diets to help keep them fit. Its hard sometimes to keep up or find your place with where to start to be more active, but then I reminded myself of James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits, and remembered that its okay for me to start small, and just start. And so I did.
I started incorporating more movement into my life by committing to just 15 minutes a day in the gym. At the very least, I felt like 15 minutes was certainly attainable. I also used Clear’s technique of habit stacking — in which he explains, we engage in habits everyday. We brush our teeth, we make breakfast, we get dressed. And when trying to create a new habit it’s best to incorporate it with a habit we already do. So, I decided that I would go to the gym immediately after I take my daughter to school. I’m already dressed and outside, and I can spare 15 minutes to move my body. What also helped is I make the habit easy, and work for me (another suggestion by Clear). Since I usually pick my daughter’s clothes out for school at night (or early in the morning), I also pick out my gym outfits. I have created a routine that has helped me be able to do it without it feeling like a chore.
I also created this habit with no avenues for me to be disappointed in myself. And I’ve done this by making the goal simple — getting there. My goal has truly been just to get in the gym for 15 minutes. No extreme body goals, no weight goals, nothing too out of reach just one focus — moving for 15 minutes, because I know I so desperately needed it. I also don’t get too hard on myself if I miss a day, because I always remind myself that I can start again. There isn’t a short term gain that I am working towards, it’s a lifestyle habit that I am trying to build. And before I knew it, after a month, 15 minutes turned into an hour. And almost 3 months later, going to the gym is now engrained in my daily routine and it feels so good. There’s even days on the weekend when I look forward to going.
It has also done wonders for my energy levels and for my productivity. After a nice morning gym session I feel energized to be my best throughout the day. I am truly proud of the progress that I have made and this small win for the year has truly shown me that it doesn’t matter where I start as long as I just start.
Instead of being overwhelmed by all the options and wanting to seem like I have it all figured out like the instagram girlies, I decided to just start and figure things out on my own timeline. And I am now applying this to my future endeavors. I have so many exciting ideas and hobbies that I’d like to try and I was always afraid of starting because I never knew where to begin. But now I know, as long as I start, and keep moving I will get there.
I hope that this provides some inspiration to anyone who may need it today. Always remember, starting anywhere is better than the lifetime of guilt of not having started at all.
For Women With Dreams 