I got a great email the other day from a woman who was feeling awful, feeling like she keeps giving in and giving up and she wanted me to help her get back on track.
Since I know most of us can relate to feeling that way, I wanted to share my response to her with all of you.
First, here’s what she wrote me:
Hi Elizabeth!
I wanted to write because I’m having a hard time resisting food right now. I have family in town and I find myself over indulging and am starting to feel terrible! How should I go about getting back on track? I’m disappointed in myself and I don’t want to go back to where I was.
Thx!
First of all, I gotta say how awesome I think it is that she emailed me. She reached out. She asked for help.
I can’t tell you how many times I felt that way, like I was on a slippery slope, and never did anything to course correct or get support.
Her email itself is a massive win. I tell my clients in the Fat Loss Fast Track all the time, “If you’re struggling, ask for help. Why would you suffer through, wanting to pull yourself out of the funk but not do anything other than think about it!?“
So the first thing I want to really emphasize is: don’t drift. If you don’t like how things are going, do something differently. You can make one single different choice or you can reach out. Or both. You guys know I’m always encouraging you to reach out to me if you have questions, suggestions or need support. Do that.
Here’s the second point: I want to eliminate the notion that we can ever be “off track”. Here’s the way it goes: choice, choice, choice, choice, choice, choice.
What comes next, no matter where you are? Another choice.
We always have the opportunity to capitalize on the next one that comes along.
Think about it this way: did you ever play double dutch as a kid? Or even watch other kids play double dutch? (I never played. I watched. I felt like I was too fat to try but that’s a story for another day. The point is still important, so read on…)
You might struggle to find the rhythm as the ropes swing and stand there on the outside, not jumping in, thinking, “Oh crap. I missed it!”
But there’s always another opportunity. The ropes keep swinging and you jump in when you can.
You might trip. You might stand there and watch for a while. It’s all good. The ropes keep swinging and there’s always a chance to jump in.
What does this have to do with feeling like you’re “off track”?
There’s another choice coming. Always. Probably in a few minutes. And then again. And then again. And again.
You can always capitalize on the next good choice.
I ask myself all the time, no matter how I feel like things are going, “What’s the next thing I can do to move towards my goals? What’s the next best choice I can make?”
So many times we stand on the sidelines, overwhelmed by how we’ll ever make 10 great choices or be consistent for the rest of our lives or lose all the weight we need to lose.
Blah.
That’s not how it works.
It’s one jump. It’s one choice. It’s always that first jump and that first choice.
We only move one step at a time. We only make progress one choice at a time.
No matter where you are, how overwhelmed you are, how far you are from your goals, just jump.
Just make one good choice.
Then do it again.