Progress not Perfection



The Overhaul

We can all relate to that feeling of wanting to make some changes, getting highly motivated, hyped up, ready to completely overhaul our lives, we know we’ll be perfect as we REALLY want to make the change this time.

Everything starts out well, you keep your gym habit five days a week, you have eaten clean for a week, no alcohol and you are feeling the benefits. First week – tick. This is a breeze! The second week rolls around, there’s a project deadline which keeps you back at work, no gym tonight – that’s ok you’ll go tomorrow. Someone’s ordered pizza as you are working late and ‘you deserve it’ – back to clean eating tomorrow. Your gym kit isn’t clean…you’ll go next week then – not worth it this week now. It’s a birthday at work – cake, well you’ve broken the clean eating this week, so you’ll start a fresh next week. You may as well go out on Saturday night for drinks as you have a clean slate planned for next week. Monday comes around and… Sound familiar?!

 

The Reality

Trying to completely overhaul our lives in one go is an unrealistic expectation. It puts huge pressure on us and leads to the collapse of our ‘perfect’ intentions. Real life will always get in the way. There will always be something that comes up that we need to navigate, and if we don’t have a lifestyle that allows for the unknown, then we will revert back to our ‘old ways’. We need to let go of trying to be perfect and focus on progress.

 

Progress

By working on small changes which are sustainable over a long period of time, they will become part of our everyday lifestyle, and even in the toughest of situations they have a chance of standing true. These small changes absolutely WILL sum to a much larger change over time, you’ll soon look back from where you have come from and realise just how much progress you have made. And the best thing about this approach? Because the progress is slower, becoming part of your lifestyle – you almost won’t realise it, and of course you are far less likely to slip back into old patterns.

 

Little Bit Better

The best way to start this approach is look at what you are currently doing and ask yourself, how can I make it ‘a little bit better’? Look at your focus area, be it exercise, nutrition, alcohol, sleep or mental wellness, on a spectrum of:

  • Now
  • Better
  • Best

Where are you now? What would be a significant improvement? And what would be your ultimate target? Then, work out what small change you can make today to move you along one step on that spectrum. For example:

  • Your usual breakfast is a couple of pieces of white toast with jam, a croissant and a large latte with three sugars
  • The first week your daily little bit better steps lead to swapping white toast and jam for a yoghurt and fruit, replacing the croissant with a wholegrain muffin and foregoing the sugar in the latte
  • The second week the daily progress leads to switching the muffin for granola and yoghurt, some fresh fruit and a small latte
  • The third week you try out a smoothie for breakfast even throw in some spinach, take out the granola and you’ve skipped the milk in your coffee
  • The fourth week you made a great vegetable frittata at the weekend which is breakfast, some fresh fruit and you’re going caffeine free this week so trying out green tea – who even are you?!

Something better, no matter how small, is better than nothing changing at all. Each day you make a choice to be a little bit better and you are always on the progress path. Change will occur bit by bit, piece by piece, day by day. Moving a step better each time feels and IS more manageable and sustainable.

 

The Curve Balls

Life will always get in the way; something will always come up to throw you off track. However, if you are always trying to make progress, no matter how small, it will ensure you are constantly moving towards your goal. So, when you get stuck late at work and can’t get to your planned gym session, think what could you do instead? Could you walk home? Could you do an online class at home? Take the dog for a run around the block? There will ALWAYS be an option.

What change can you make today to be a little bit better?

Be a little bit better. Not perfect.

Comments

Add your thoughts…

Please, Log-in to be able to post comments.