Ok people, we are in the midst of a Holiday Challenge, and I keep saying to myself, ‘if you are leading this group, you gotta keep the course, not diverge, and basically lead by example.’ But you know what…. Christmas treats. Lots and lots of treats, all around me.

A couple of weekends ago, it started with a REAL DEAL date night, this is a time where I allow myself to relax and chill out on nutrition restrictions ( 😁look at me, I’m freaking Dr. Suess over here). We started out with a trip to Caribou Coffee…. I believe there was candy involved….. the kids Reese’s, followed by monk fruit (not sugar) cookies that the kids made, and then a creamy homemade shrimp scampi…. and to top it off, a glass of wine. And. I. Didn’t. Care. One. Bit.

Did I just say that?

Yes, I did.

There was no more “no you can’t, you need to be good and maintain self-discipline” there was a serious lack of control, and you know what, it felt fucking great! It also brought up some feelings of shame around “needing” to maintain discipline, being a professional in the field of wellness, which made me consider all the ways I myself am fixating about what my best should/could be.

What is the takeaway?

In the midst of a sugar craving, life is busy as shit, my personal life (the kids) is taking more of my time and effort than I expected, especially compared to this summer (you know, when they aren’t in school 😂), and my husband keeps bringing me sweet treats because he “loves me” (let’s be real, he loves a big ass). That isn’t very helpful Sam, and you know what? I fucking know! Christmas treats….. remember?

But…… BUT…. there is raising awareness around what I am doing and how I’m participating and engaging with expectations this week (and that’s a good thing, even if I’m not being my “best self,” whatever the hell that is). That is, awareness is what allows me to shift my actions AND my mindset without feeling like shit. Various research on self-awareness suggests that when we see ourselves clearly (even the darker, sugar craving sides of ourselves), we are more confident, we make more informed decisions, and we are more effective leaders. Take those Christmas treats, I live to workout another day.

A bit more on awareness.

Self-awareness enables you to self-regulate – to control and redirect your impulses and moods. It’s important to note right now that control in this sense, or “self-regulation,“ does not imply some rigid tension. It means that you can take that moment deep into your sugar craving to acknowledge your impulse and your mood (what else is happening in my life right now), remaining flexible in what comes next. Expectations lack in self-regulation and self-awareness. They remain stagnant and are unyielding, which isn’t how we want our bodies to be, our eating habits (cough….diet….cough), or our mindset.

Awareness is what gets us to the place of intention instead of expectation. Intentions are what continue to contribute to discipline and motivation but allow us the opportunity to pivot to the daily demands of life without losing our long-term goals.

Sometimes I feel like I should put 100% of myself into every task I do, but my awareness helps me understand that the math is against me here. If I overdo it on the business end, I can’t fully show up for my family, and when personal shit gets in the way, I can’t show up for my clients. I don’t have an infinite amount of 100% to give to EACH TASK, each day, even if those are my expectations.

The intention last week was to do 100% each day (not for each task), and yet, even 100% (I kept reminding myself), looks different each day.  So even in my junk-food-a-thon (along with feeling under the weather) I still gave 100% percent of what I had last week. Although the expectation I had for a few of my workouts hasn’t really come to fruition, by staying aware of whatever is going on with my body, I still took care of myself. Last week, my best was using lighter weights, doing fewer reps, and slowing down in ALL of my tasks. By letting go of expectations and reminding myself I only have the best intentions in mind for myself and my work, this awareness led to feeling successful and accomplished. Which also helps me stay motivated and continue achieving goals (not just in the present week, but a year from now, too).

The very next day (after the legit date night), I woke up feeling like candy was the last thing I wanted, and I was craving a salad. I wanted some of those healthy greens…..my body wanted the nutrients, and the sugar cravings had gone away. Awareness helped me return to discipline and a new sort of best on that day. Best isn’t something that we are going to ever be able to define for ourselves. Try to be OK with that because that is what helps you continue to “feel” your best, and also “do” your best. It’s a bit backward, I know.

I’ll leave you with this food for thought; Dr. Ellen Langer, a Harvard psychologist, found in a recent study on mind-set that during workout routines, participants, on average, lost more weight, reduced body fat content, and reduced systolic blood pressure by ten points, with no extra effort required. What is the missing ingredient? Well, it wasn’t a diet pill or some magic new diet.

All it took was an increased level of awareness during workout routines. Self-awareness is the forgotten part of fitness and nutrition.

“Everything in life is transitory.”

With that being said, this is a time of year where we genuinely take comfort in the idea of shifting and changing. Ride that welcoming wave of transition while being ok with the fact that what you put out today is NOT going to be the exact same as what you put out yesterday, nor will it be the same as tomorrow.

If you are a resolution-er, I am here to say, good for you. Make shit happen. While I personally and professionally do not recommend New Year’s resolutions, I do, however, believe that it doesn’t matter what the initial motivating factor, or catalyst, if you will, is… ride that wave. Better yourself. Better your health.

Here’s my but…..

You won’t always feel what you’re feeling right now. And that should actually be comforting to know. What you are feeling at this moment has to do with the current space you are in. If all goes well, you will make healthy lifestyle changes and shifts, adjusting who you are right now into a new and “improved” version of yourself. Your perspective and how you feel about reaching your goals WILL, in fact, change. Don’t slow, don’t quit!!!! Stay the course and remember, we don’t diet, we make LIFESTYLE CHANGES. We can (and do) move forward and backward (you know, transitory shit), so don’t completely bomb it if you take a few steps backward. You were just making room for your next dance move… Show ’em how it’s done. 😉

Until next year ❤️

#wellness #expectations #SetGoals #ShowUpWorkOut #YesWeCan #DoYourBest #RushIntoFitness #selfawareness #mindset #ShiftIntoFitness #NewYearsResolutions