Let’s call this a pre-adventure. I’m so out of shape I get winded walking around the house quickly. I’ve been eating poorly for long enough that my gut health is out of whack. I’m experiencing headaches more and more frequently. I’m basically a hot mess. Seriously. I was working on fitness modeling goals about a year ago and today I questioned my ability to do lunges and squats in my pajamas.

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It’s really been fine up until now. This has been such a stressful past year that fitness and nutrition could not drive AND also have sanity in the same car. So. Much. Comfort Eating.

After nearly a year of this, I’m no longer in a happy balance of mental and physical health – my body is hurting! That doesn’t mean it’s going to be any easier to move & eat well than it has been all year, though, am I right? I’m motivated by people at the gym, coaches, career moves, and time away from home. Too bad that’s soooooo 2019. I could try to force some incentives on myself, but really just feeling better than this will be reward enough. And I have a host of actually fun things I’m looking forward to: a heavy bag is ready to hang in my garage, I’ve got a ballet barre and roll up dance floors for beside the bag, I’m suuuuuuuper ready to travel and hike the moment the weather warms up, and I’ve even been contemplating building a climbing wall up the side of the playground in our backyard. It’s hard to go conquer the world when you feel like warmed over ancient history, though, so I guess I have to be able to walk across my house without getting winded now.

I’m not a New Years resolution sort of person, so this is sort of ironic timing. But because it’s that time of year, I’ve been reading some supportive ideas about how to make hard things work and habits stick. Here’s the mini set I’m working with:

1. Use past data – I’m actually pretty good at this whole health and fitness thing on a normal day, but this is not a normal day so I’m sticking with what works best for me. I’m at my best when I have a coach pushing me, so I chose a training and nutrition program that does the planning for me. I’m taking the “don’t think, just show up” approach.
2. Know your why – I’m not super excited about working out alone at home under stress, but I do really want to get that heavy bag flow back. I can see myself easily working the bag in my garage. That’s what I’m going to think about every single time I don’t wanna______, because that’s what I do want.
3. Intentions vs. goals – Goals are great, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that sometimes with hard things, we are better served by setting an intention. You can’t fail at an intention. Every moment you make a choice that serves that intention is a win. “Today I will push my physical limits and eat healthy foods.”

Here’s what I challenge you to do if this resonates with you. Pick an area of your health that is giving you the slip (mental, physical, nutrition, emotional, etc.). Think of 5 things that fall under that category that you LOVE. Forget about what someone else said you should be doing; try to come up with 5 ideas that you get really, really excited by. I mentioned my absolute adoration for dancing, boxing, climbing, and hiking. I will get out of bed for those things. Write them down. Post them on your mirror. Commit to bringing more of that kind of joy to your life, because I don’t see any reason why even the hard should not be enjoyed.