SETBACKS

When you start out on a journey you realize one day a setback could or will happen. Something will come up, that with or without intention, will try to knock you off track. It’s similar to any literal journey. Your vacation, road trip or business travel could be affected by a flat tire, delayed flight, or sudden illness among a host of many things. Nine times out of ten we decide to keep going. That decision to continue could be based on how much was invested in getting to that point. The investment could be either in the form of time or money or both. Other times we keep going due to a sense of obligation or fulling a commitment we have made. For example, attending a business meeting or seminar. It could even be something as simple as being at a family reunion or a gathering of friends. No matter the case we make every effort to complete our journey.

The same could be true for creating the identity we want to have. We have it all worked out to start living like that person, creating tiny habits and we see progress. But one day, BOOM! Out of nowhere comes a setback to our progress. If you were working out regularly, you get a bad case of the flu and are housebound, maybe even bed or sofa bound for several days. You have been eating well and loosing weight then someone brings to work amazing goodies. You don’t just have one but you mange to eat several. The sugar rush hits you, lets you down and now you feel like crap. Work or life becomes extremely stressful, so much to the point you slip back into an old undesirable habit. Eating a ton of greasy nasty junk. Perhaps even worse you turn to alcohol, smoking or drugs. It could be that life becomes so busy you lose any inclination to do the habits you had begun, even the easy ones become a heavy chore. Parents especially may find this happening, having children that require attention and also time commitments. It could be a combination of all those things

What is one to do? Well during these last three months I have had some setbacks. Probably the easiest one to pinpoint is eating. Though I have improved in the last ten days sugary processed foods, were a challenge. As a wrote in my last blog my A1C was an eyeopener for sure. I began to look at what I was eating again, and when and also, I looked at foods that would help my blood sugar. But I didn’t over plan I just created habits I wanted to help me, then I got to work.  In one week, I have seen a difference. I tested my glucose two Sundays ago, it was at 161. I tested it again this Sunday and it is 149. It went down in one week with changes I made. Changes some may have thought were not that big of a deal. Oh, and I also lost a pound in the process.

You may be silently applauding, good for you Robert! Then ask how does that apply to me? I still have kids or a job that is stressful or other things in my life that I have little control over. James Clear in Atomic habits basically puts it try not go off track 2 days in a row. In doing that I reflected on how could I avoid doing undesirable habits two days in a row? Simple on the second day start doing desirable habits on the second day. You ate horribly yesterday, then go back to what you were doing the day before yesterday. When we get setbacks, we tend to want to punish ourselves. “I messed eating yesterday, so today I’m fasting” “Nothing but salads this week” “I missed the gym, so I am going to do a double workout tomorrow.” Some how reasoning this will make penance for any lapses. In reality it’s setting up ourselves for more setbacks.

So, you are driving on vacation to let’s say Disneyland. You are about five hours out from your home and you get a flat tire. What do you do?  Well, you change it and keep going. When this happens do you think well my vacation is ruined, I’m not going. Or even worse, well I’m am going back home and restarting my whole trip again from the beginning.  No, you already put five hours into it. You may need to adjust but you certainly are not going to quit or restart.

Apply that to habits and regressing to an undesirable habit. You have put so much into it to turn back or quit. Yes, you may need to adjust but you will keep going. Remember show up, put in the work and just keep going. Easier said than done. Right? Don’t overthink it. Small, atomic habits. Ok you haven’t worked out in a couple of days. Find a quite place and do something. Ha! you say, I have kids there is no quite place. I think most parents get a few moments of quite time and to be honest probably in the bathroom taking care of natural functions. How about you excuse yourself the restroom when you don’t need to do those functions? Go in take a deep breath and doing something. Do a standing yoga pose, some air squats, wall pushups or anything there is room for. It may take a minute but you look at you, you just did a workout. Try that everyday and you find you might look forward to it. Remember you are creating a mindset an identity. Who knows try a mini workout in the shower. Who is going to see you? Give yourself credit for being creative. Think outside of the box, just keep going.

In the end we all have set backs, regressions or whatever you want to call them. Don’t view them as failures but as opportunities. Opportunities to think better, be creative, see what didn’t work and an opportunity to try something else that may just work.

One glaring setback for me these last 3 months is I missed blogging this past Sunday.  But I have an opportunity to see what I can do to avoid it happening again. I have come up with a few things to adjust but I can tell you this, I am not going to stop blogging or restart a new blog. I will keep going forward.

I want to leave you with a quote I saw this weekend. In part it says, “Don’t allow someone (it could be something also) that has the significance of speed bump become a roadblock in your life.”

Friends keep getting over those speed bumps because your life is not blocked. I have confidence in you!

I am there with and for you! Keep up the good work!