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Small Steps
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Lao-tzu
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Have patience with yourself. Change does not happen overnight. Habits of long standing do not miraculously disappear and new, better, healthier ones don't take their place with ease every time.
I've been on this weight journey my whole life and this latest chapter (actually maintaining the weight loss for almost 3 years) has given me an opportunity to learn patience and acceptance. I have to remind myself when I slip into old habits that living a new habit for 3+ years still contends with having lived the previous routine for more than 40 years.
Whether it's choosing healthier foods, maintaining reasonable portion sizes, getting in my exercise or being aware of what I eat and do, it's all still relatively new to me. There's quite a number of "good" habits that I've started and successfully carried through for months and even years, only to seemingly toss them away. Many more didn't even make it past the 21 days (supposedly that's how long it takes to create a habit). So do I give up trying? No! Each time I learn a little bit more about what works and what doesn't. And I'll tell you this. Sometimes what works changes to what doesn't work overnight and I'm left with "try, try, try again".
But patience, endurance, persistence and fortitude in trying yet another time will pay off. It will work out in the end if you just keep trying. And cut yourself some slack while you're at it. You're doing a good job. You're still here aren't you?
Can you be more patient with yourself this week?
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What was on your list of acknowledgments last week?
How did you celebrate last week?
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Try, Try Again a poem by T. H. Palmer
18 Tricks to Make New Habits Stick
I really liked #13 -- run it as an experiment since experiments can't fail.
For previous editions of Small Steps
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Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.
Harriet Tubman
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