February, chill. I've got you covered.

This week has been hard – it’s the first time that sticking to the plan has been hard for an extended length of time, and I know it won’t be the last. I’ve been feeling pretty crappy this week and that means one thing:
Dearest, sweetest chocolate, I want to be with you forever. And if anyone stands between us, I will snap their legs like twigs.

Nononononono!!!

So, it’s the end of the week now, and I’m feeling a bit better. This moment right here is the crucial part of a plan, not just for me but for anyone with a goal in mind. It’s the moment when someone trips and falls and they can decide whether to stay on the ground and wait for the medics, believing they need to be saved, or they can get up and pick the grit out of the graze, believing that unless there’s a bone sticking out they can still run the race.
Of course you know what I’m going to choose, it’s only February, for God’s sake. I’ve got shit to do.

So, to get back on track, I’m going to do some mindful writing. I wholeheartedly believe that even the most action-packed plans are all mind games, and so the frame of mind is all important. Instead of focusing on a series of fails – choices – I’ve made this past week, I’m going to focus on the successes – different choices – I’ve made so far. I believe this technique, a little something I learnt while pregnant to deal with anxiety, is going to be the key to my long term success.

 Here are the truths that I’m choosing to dwell on;

·         I’ve lost a little over four kilos in six weeks without dieting. It’s been easy and what I ate yesterday does not dictate what I eat today.

·         I can plank for a minute and a half and I can do 180 squats without stopping. I’m so proud of these numbers and I have ten months to improve.

·         My garden looks AH-MAY-ZIIING!!!

·         My inspiration fairy whispers wonderful tidbits of book in my ear all the time now, that chick’s a machine. Hahaha!

·         And lastly, Paul and I have gone for lovely walks in different places and it’s beginning to feel like dating again. Teehee. But it’s better because we have this little blonde ballerina drawing our attention to spectacular looking dirt and beautiful dead bugs, among other things.

And now, some truth about the future;

·         My goals last one month – if it’s getting boring or hard, it’s only going to last 31 days at the absolute max. Suck it up, homes.

·         February is going to feel different to January, because your goal is an intellectual one, not a physical one. Enjoy the rest, because March brings you the Durie Hill steps and you are going to OWN them.

·         Shitty days are going to happen and you’re going to have to own them, too.

I’m up, I’ve brushed myself off, and I’ve reminded myself of the big picture. My goals are sooo much bigger than a week of feeling a bit crap and therefore not achieving exactly what I’d hoped.

Thank you, oh medium of blog writing, for this much needed perspective.