Patience is a virtue when it comes to changing your life

How often have you used the time between Xmas and New Year to get super excited, motivated even to make some BIG changes, only to see the pressures of early January have you give up in a pit of frustration, apathy, or anger?

Perhaps we need to learn to be a little gentler with ourself, maybe dare I say it learn to be more patient.

Beginner Runner

We are now mid-way through January, in fact today is Blue Monday so coined because apparently it is supposed to be the day we all open our credit card bills from Xmas, give up on our New Years Resolution, and long for a summer holiday.

I am not so sure.

I am feeling great…well not great as I am still recovering from a Chest Infection and Flu…but in good spirits because I know all to well not to jump into January full throttle because it always leads to overwhelm a few weeks in.

Today marks the opening of my Kickstart to Running group, and it has been interesting observing how eager the women have been to get started.

“I want to get cracking while I am motivated”

And I think here lies the problem.

We sometimes wait to feel motivated rather than committing to our goals whether we feel like it or not.

That’s the difference between motivation and discipline.

Now I don’t say this as a means of giving you a weapon to beat yourself up with, I say it to help you avoid this pattern of hope followed by frustration and disappointment. 

I have been thinking a lot recently about what it takes to REALLY change, to REALLY move towards the things you want in your life…be that weight loss, health goals, career goals, or anything else you feel called to being, having and doing.

It is NEVER about the BIG pile on of motivation that makes the difference in my view, but rather the small compounded actions, behaviors and habits that create momentum when done reasonably consistently over a longer period of time.

My daughter turned 10 this weekend…I was pregnant (and didn’t know) with her back in 2012 when I ran my first marathon, when TFTR was a blog and not a business.

And so I have been reflecting on all that I have achieved since she was born, as a parent, as a runner, as a business owner.

My life is unrocgnisable.

And YET there wasn’t one BIG moment, there wasn’t one BIG shift…it has been those smaller incremental steps towards the life I now live…and a certain amount of patience, which if you had told me I would need 5 or 6 years ago I would have shouted something rude at you.

It is often said we,

“Over estimate what we can do in a year, but underestimate what we can do it 10” and I buy in to this totally.

So rather than thinking you can totally transform your life in January, or maybe even in 2023…what if you just asked yourself each day what do I need to do, be, and have to get closer to the thing that I ultimately want.

And on the days where it all goes to pot, you don’t beat yourself up or self-sabotage?

What might happen then?

January doesn’t have any super-power that other months don’t have…it’s just colder here in the UK, and our newsfeeds are just filled with more things that trigger negative emotions which can send us off in a spin.

Take your time to get clear on what it is you want to do, and build up your habits and behaviours in more of a gentler, kinder way to get the results you really want…minus the stress and headache along the way.

My goal this week…to out my trainers on just once, and cover a mile. 

SIMPLEZ!!!!

There is still time to join Kickstart Your Running, my 8 week beginner and returners group.

This week is all about getting yourself mentally and physically prepared.

Next week we create our personalised plan and get cracking.

You’d be more than welcome to come and get involved, our first live session is next week Wednesday and all calls are recorded

Register Here

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