“It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in CHANGE there is power.” -ALAN COHEN
As Alan Cohen said, in movement there is life, and in CHANGE there is power; it’s my goal to bring more movement to your life, and as a result empower you to CHANGE old habits that aren’t serving you, and instead follow a path where you’ll find health and happiness…..
For some that means more exercise or a different nutrition program, for others it could be embarking on a meditation program. Whatever the CHANGE is you’d like to make, in more ways than one, I am committed to inspire and help you implement that CHANGE.
I was working with a private client last week who was lamenting that she really couldn’t fit exercise into her schedule in the upcoming months- she has a big job, a family, and various other activities that take up slots on the calendar. I asked how important it was to her to get in shape and feel better; her response was an overwhelming “VERY!”
I asked her how much TV she watched a week and after her initial answer of “not much,” she mentally calculated about 8 hours of television. I told her to cut out the TV and she’d have more than enough time to workout. She looked at me like I had three heads, clearly not happy with my solution. I explained that we need to make a commitment to the things we really want to CHANGE, and by default, things that are not a priority need to fall by the wayside. I shared this story which brought her situation a whole different perspective:
About 20 years ago, I dated a famous musician who had made a non-negotiable commitment to something that he felt was of utmost importance to his well-being. He had had an addiction problem and after years of recovery felt that the only thing that kept him on the straight and narrow was going to daily AA meetings. Now this may not seem like a big deal- they only last about an hour and are easily found in most cities. The thing was- he was constantly on tour and traveling around the world so he easily could have used that as an excuse; but he didn’t.
Every single day, no matter what city or country he was in, he made sure he went to a meeting- his day was planned around it, and his managers made sure it was a priority. As a witness to his dedication for a few months, I will never forget the commitment he had to stay healthy; and I always use him as an example of sticking with something even if it is inconvenient or takes time away from doing other things.
If we want to make a real CHANGE, we need to set our priorities straight, and get real about where we are focusing our energy- because sitting in front of the TV or shopping online isn’t doing much for our mental health or waistlines.
There are many mornings when my alarm goes off and I’d rather turn over than get up and meditate for a half hour, but I resist the snooze button knowing that the half hour I meditate will have a much greater impact on my mental health and happiness than that extra pillow time would.
According to researchers at University College London, 66 days was the average time it took for volunteers in a study to begin doing automatically something they had adopted as a daily duty, such as eating fruit with their lunch or going for a run before dinner. Without a doubt I know my classes will be jammed in January because people get excited about their “new fitness” program; I hope to keep my classes fresh and challenging each week so that it will always feel “new,” and you’ll still be sweating with me way past day 67!
I challenge you to pick something you are struggling with to stay consistent, and map out a plan as to how you can find that extra time to achieve the goals you’d like to set for yourself- whether it is adopting a meditation program to be more patient with your kids or train for a 5k to raise money for your favorite cause- pick it, be realistic, and be consistent!
Remember- if it’s not scheduled, it’s not real!
xo
Danielle
Want my top 3 favorite free tips to create massive healthy change? Grab them HERE
