A Few Lies We Tell Ourselves and the Truth that Strengthens Us

My husband many days comes home from work dreaming of a nap. When he walks in, he either starts playing with our baby and can’t seem to later fall asleep, or unwinding while she is napping, and as if with the most fined tuned radar, she realizes that he is about to fall asleep and awakens. In the end, as you might have concluded, he doesn’t get his nap. Today was one of those days. He sat on the couch after work and about 20 minutes later the baby woke up and he said, “I wanted a nap but the thought was nice while it lasted.” How many more things do we trick our mind into? I can share a few.

• “I’ll do it later.” You will say that so many times. You will waste more time and energy by pushing it. Take a stab at it now. I recommend that you time yourself for ten minutes and see how much you can get done during this short period.
• “I don’t have time to exercise today so I will do it tomorrow.” Why do we think that a good workout has to last an hour or more? Do you have five minutes? Go ahead and do five exercises for a minute. Do you have twenty minutes? Go for a quick jog. Do what you can. It will get you closer to your goal. You won’t turn into Tom Brady or Jessica Biel overnight or completely overturn your habits in one day. It will take a bit and something is better than nothing. Consistency is key.
• “I’ll save on the next paycheck.” I don’t know how it happens, but whenever you have money, random expenditures show up at your door. For that reason, pay yourself! Don’t give yourself the leftovers. Make it a direct deposit so you make the decision once and don’t have to figure it out paycheck after paycheck.
• “I am not good enough.” Not with that attitude! But in all seriousness, why not? The people we see succeed are fighters. Their victory is not due to a lack of failures but through repeated attempts that allowed them to learn and practice and win small battles. Give yourself a chance.
• “I’ll start the diet on Monday.” Ugh, the word diet. I don’t know about you, but I am personally tired about fretting over my weight and habits. I want to eat without guilt. The truth is that I won’t get there until I learn how to eat appropriately. Start now by having a smaller portion, or skipping on that sugary drink. I promise that I will cut down on those sweet treats.
• “I’ll just quickly check ‘X platform’.” And then just as quickly get dragged into a rabbit hole. There are areas in our lives where we surrender control easily. For most, social media is one of the top ones. If you want to participate, set a timer that will bring you back to real life.

I am slowly learning that the person I want to be is a decision away. Getting to my goals is going to take time and I will see obstacles and have days where I don’t want to get up anymore. Being resilient in the little will give me the strength to be available in the significant. When I am on the other side, I will see how all those small decisions brought me closer to the new version of me. Muscles develop with repetition. Consistency is what you are looking for, not great feats.