New Beginnings and Not-So-New Setbacks

Today is January 3rd, a few days into the start of a new year and new resolutions to do better. One of my resolutions for this year, of course, has to do with health. I want to have a flat stomach by the end of the year. I'm definining that as a 28-inch waist for lack of a better way to objectify it. At the moment I have about a 39.5-inch waist. So that means I need to shrink by about 1 inch per month to get to my goal. Since I've never paid much attention to how long it takes to lose inches, I don't really know how realistic that is. So this could be a great opportunity to move forward with no limiting belief about the achievability of my goal. But instead I've done nothing but doubt since day one of figuring out how many inches I really have to lose. "1 inch a month???" my subconscious asks. "No way am I going to do that!" And that has inevitably been followed by the anxiety and the fear and then the self-sabotage. Three days into my workout and I'm already in self-sabotage mode! Obviously working out daily is not going to be sufficient for me to succeed. I am going to have to deal with the emotional side of things as well, or I am going to crash and burn in the first week, just like so many people do with their New Year's resolutions.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf says, "Doubt your doubts, not your faith." Instead of dwelling on all the reasons why I think it can't be done, I want to be focusing on the infinite possibilities that this year brings. Instead of focusing on the road blocks, I want to focus on the opportunity for growth this presents me. Yes, I'm afraid. Yes, part of me is certain I will fail. But part of me is also excited to see what I will accomplish as a result of this goal--not just in terms of a flat stomach but also in terms of learning to love myself and learning to trust myself. The real goal here isn't to reach the number 28. The real goal is to keep trying, to never give up on my goals or myself, even if I backslide occasionally (like I did last night). What if I only make it down to 35 inches by the end of the year? I will still be better off than I was the previous year. But I'm not going to only make it to 35 inches. I'm going to continue tracking my progress and adjust my approach accordingly. That's one big thing that's going to be different this year: If my strategy isn't working, I am going to change it. Instead of choosing a strategy and sticking with it no matter what, like a hamster in a wheel that's not really getting anywhere, I'm going to evaluate my progress often and make changes mid-course as needed to ensure that I continue making progress.

As I think about it, this year isn't just about having a flat stomach or building my confidence as a health coach or serving more people (my goals for the year). It's about learning how to set--and accomplish--goals, it's about learning to love and trust myself, and it's about finding joy in the journey.