3 Little Things Anyone Can Do to Turn Their Health Around
A friend reached out to me after reading this article, telling me how disappointed she was in herself for getting so out of shape and letting her health deteriorate.
Many people wouldn’t expect this from an executive at a major company, but it’s far more common than we might think.
“I’m embarrassed to be in the situation I’m in . . . ”
Since we first met over 5 years ago she’s gained 40 pounds, something she assumed was a “temporary thing” and that she could “easily get back into shape.”
She said the article found her at the right time and inspired her to begin working out, even though I advocated starting with embarrassingly small steps.
So I was optimistic she would start to get her health back on track.
But that didn’t happen.
As we exchanged emails in the coming weeks, I could tell she was struggling to make progress.
It seemed that feeling overweight had compounded into every area of her life and the problem went much deeper than I thought.
In addition to work and family issues, she was struggling on the relationship front . . . where dating apps consumed too much time and bad dates left her feeling hopeless . . .
“ I just want to be in love and have someone to laugh and share life with . . . ”
She felt she had no one to talk to.
She was embarrassed to turn to friends, who might judge.
She was ashamed to turn to family, who definitely would.
Despite writing to her several times I haven’t heard back. Knowing how hard she is on herself I assume she’s embarrassed to share her lack of progress.
So this is a letter to her — I want her to know that it’s OK to feel stuck and give her a few things to try once she’s ready to get going again.
(name changed for sake of anonymity)
Dear Melanie,
Hey there — it’s been awhile since we chatted.
I’m guessing you’ve been busy — working, traveling . . . dating? Whatever it is, you seem to be so busy that you can’t write me back!
I’m hoping it’s because you’ve been working out, but given our recent chats I’m not so sure. You had so many things on your mind that fitting in a few minutes of exercise probably hasn’t become a habit.
If so, don’t be too hard on yourself.
Feeling like you aren’t making progress is part of the journey.
Let me guess — you probably . . . wonder how you got into this rut . . . . don’t know what to do . . . and don’t know if you’ll be able to dig yourself out.
The truth is — you can.
I think you’re ready to get back on that horse. So here are 3 little things you can start right now.
They are simple, easy, and there’s really no excuse for not starting TODAY:
STEP 1 (1 minute): Pick ONE tiny activity, one healthy habit to start (some ideas below).
Pick something that calls to you — that you feel is manageable and will build momentum in the area you’re most neglecting. Maybe exercise? Nutrition?
STEP 2 (2 minutes): Pick a “trigger”, something is a signal for when you will do the activity.
(ideas for these also below)
Once you’ve identified ONE activity (right column) and ONE trigger (left column), move on.
STEP 3 (3 minutes): Print off the sheet below, fill in the blanks, and place it somewhere you can see easily (like your bathroom mirror).
Do that thing for 21 days, and mark with a big X immediately after doing it.
Example:
You’re only committing to something small. If you want to do more, then do more, but it’s not necessary.
You’ll begin to feel a sense of satisfaction as the X’s accumulate. Keep the streak going!
There will be days when you won’t want to do it. Do it anyway.
You may wonder how something so tiny can actually have an impact.
It won’t by itself, but you’re laying a foundation for much more important things. Don’t skip this crucial step and don’t underestimate its importance.
Just this and ONLY this is what you’re committing yourself to for the next 21 days.
Get back on that horse, girl, and let me know how it goes!
-Tim
