Two Stepping

Well hello June! Can y’all believe it?  June 1st, 2018. That is kind of crazy.

So new month.  Summer.  And you have some things weighing on your mind that you really want to do or change.  Today was just another reminder that another month went by and you didn’t get it done.  Can you relate? I know I can.  So I want to help set you up for success in June.  I am going to share my two steps in moving forward and making changes. This could be everything from losing weight to get your home organized – whatever it is that is keeping you up at night or not letting you live “your best life” :).  We overcomplicate EVERYTHING.  Before we even take one step, we are already running backwards.  One of the best lessons I have learned that any step forward is worth it and I should celebrate every single one.

Sound good? Y’all ready?

Ok step one: SET BABY GOALS.

I love me some goal setting.  I LOVE writing down big hairy audacious goals and dreaming about my future.  But that can be really intimidating.  Big, HUGE goals seem impossible and so damn far away, right? So before we even get started, we are already down and not going to do it.  That is our problem. We bite off more than we can chew and then when we choke we are pissed.  So as much as I believe we should be aspirational and set big goals, we need to look at them in tiny chunks.  Every goal is a series of small goals leading up to it.  We have to take every step to get there.  So our first step is we should focus on the baby goals.  What are small goals that you can focus on this month that will be progress and get you one step closer to your big ones?  Let’s talk through one example…

Let’s say your BIG goal is to lose 50lbs and get back to a size 10.  That is a great goal and you can get there, but it is not happening overnight – it’s not even going to happen in two months.  So if you don’t lose a ton of weight in June, you are going to get down, right?  And if you set some huge goal for the month, then fail it in the first week, we feel like the whole month is shot.  Let’s set a baby goal!  Baby goals for losing weight could be: Work out in some way 3 days a week, not every single day, just 3 days a week. More than likely you aren’t doing a workout regimen right now and trying to make yourself do it every day will be torture.  You can do 3 days!  And at the end of June you will have proven to yourself that you CAN lose the weight and to keep going.  Maybe a baby goal could be to make better choices in food.  That is pretty vague, yes. But saying that you are only going to eat 1200 calories a day for a person that eats whatever they want right now, well its going to suck.  Plan to spend June studying food and learning what is best for you and trying new things. Come July you may be ready to go a little stricter :).  Baby goal for getting your house organized could be “one project a week”.  I have fallen in this trap.  “June is the month that I will clean up my ENTIRE house and it will be DONE!” Sound familiar?  Then come July I did not get a damn thing done because I was so stressed all month on how little I was getting things done.  So what if you planned one project a week?  Sit down and prioritize what you want to do. Then divide them up in projects.  Your goal is to do one project a week.  No set day, just at some point that week you focus on it.  No, you won’t have your house completely done by July, but you will be 4 projects closer than you were before! Want to start waking up early every day? Start with 15 minutes earlier, every other day. It’s a start! This is about each and every step in the right direction.  Not only does it get your closer to you big goal, but it also proves to yourself that you CAN DO IT!

Step two: Prepare yourself for success!

Ok you have set your baby goal and you are feeling great about it.  Then Satan gets in your ear and tells you that you can’t do it.  Jerk.  But it happens.  And it will pop up often throughout the month. You have to prepare yourself.  You are not going to be perfect all month – in fact you are going to screw up.  You have to get your mind right for those times.  This is a mind game.  You need to promise yourself that you can and will stick to this small goal – its really not that big of a deal and you CAN do it.  You need to promise yourself that when you make a misstep, you will keep going and know that there is always tomorrow to try again.  Don’t put too much pressure on yourself – its just baby steps.  This goal needs to be a true chance at success.  If you think working out three days a week sounds like too much – then only set a goal to do it twice, or even once. One more time this week is more than you did last week. Just because Susie with the abs on instagram can work out 12 days a week, does not mean you should feel bad that you barely make it through one.  You are taking baby steps and getting closer to your goal.  In addition to being prepared to fight that inner skeptic, you need to actually get prepared.  Trying to work out? Go to Walmart and but the $5 workout shorts, $3 tank, and $8 sports bra.  Even if you just buy one set and wash it every day – do it. Why? Because you know as well as I do that “what are you going to wear” can be an excuse.  If you are trying to eat better – clean out the pantry and have better foods available.  Don’t get crap that you don’t even like – do some research, ask some friends, find your favorites.  And if you want to cheat, go ahead.  But you are going to to have to get in your car and go get it. And if you do that – I say it was worth it and you can do better tomorrow.  One thing I repeat to myself all the time is that one bad meal or snack is not going to make me gain all my weight back or wreck my diet.  Remember that.  Need to wake up earlier?  Set out what you need in the morning by your bed.  Have coffee in the house. Set up your comfy spot so nice that you look forward to waking up and enjoying it. Getting organized?  Then make a plan. Like I mentioned before – don’t go into it, recklessly, half-assing each project.  Make a list of 4 and stick to it.  Even if you have to set a timer every day for 30 minutes and you spend all that time working on that week’s project, do it.  It can be done – but you need to prepare yourself.  Also, for all things – get to praying.  Even for that hall closet that you can’t even shut the door right now HA! Pray that the Lord will be with you and help you get through this. Yes, He wants us to come to Him for the big stuff – but oh the sweetness of letting Him on the small, very personal things to us.  Trust me – you want to see the Lord work in your life – pray over your Nikes :).

Two steps. One month.  Can you do it?  Let me know if you are! Maybe I will create a hashtag for us :).

Love you mean it!

RB