Life is the adventure. And yet, so often, plans for self-improvement aren’t designed to fit the challenging times, the events that change our schedules, or the unexpected.
How often have you thought:
“So I’m going to start eating better next week when I get back from my trip (or when that project is done, or after the holidays).”
Too often we come up with “perfect” plans that only work when our life is perfectly predictable – which is hardly ever. That means there are a lot of smart women who have “perfect” plans that they can’t follow much of the time. They are forever “getting back on track,” “starting over,” or postponing getting started.
You don’t need a perfect plan to create peace with food. You need a plan that allows you to move forward (in a do-able way) every day.
This doesn’t mean that you have to be overly restrictive or miss out on special occasions. It does mean you need a plan for them – one that creates more ease, fits your goals, and most importantly, fits you.
Vacations, parties, holidays, and unexpected events are part of the fun. Unfortunately, weight loss plans, or even plans for healthy eating, usually don’t address the special or the unexpected in ways that are very helpful.
Approaches to planning around these events often feel restrictive, which can be a recipe for rebellion. If you don’t plan for special or unexpected occasions, the “everyday plan” is also likely to come up short, and when a food plan doesn’t really fit your circumstances, good intentions, willpower, and motivation only go so far.
Lasting success and freedom from overeating and emotional eating happen when you have an approach to food and decisions about what to eat that work for you in the real, day-to-day situations that life serves up.
Honor the fact that life is complicated. Plan to enjoy and savor the special moments, parties, and celebrations. Stop falling for the story that the only way to succeed is to deprive yourself or to wait until the fun (or the season) is over before you get serious about your goals.
Success that lasts involves a plan that actually works with your life.
Oh – and here are some motivating quotes to remind you that life is better when you seize the adventure.
Talk soon,
Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory. – George S. Patton
You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf. – Jon Kabat-Zinn
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. – Helen Keller
Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body. – Seneca
Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional. – Roger Crawford
The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it. – Molière
Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew. – Cicely Tyson
Perspective is everything when you are experiencing the challenges of life. – Joni Eareckson Tada
Sometimes, instead of climbing over the barricades, you’ve got to walk around them. – Bono
Be where you are, otherwise you will miss your life. – Buddha
