Tracy had been doing a great job on her diet. For five weeks, she’d been keeping a food journal, eating more fruits and vegetables, exercising daily, and getting enough sleep. Last week, she went on vacation where she had a big dinners and drank a glass of wine each night. After her vacation, she hasn’t been able to get back on track.
Chances are, we’ve all been in this type of situation before, whether it be a set-back on a diet, a career plan, a family relationship, or a financial goal. Once we fall out of habit or have a slip up, it can be difficult to get going again.
If you’re struggling to get back on track, here are a few small steps you can try to take daily:
Just get started again. It seems to be a simple and obvious step to take, but it can be difficult to get started after you’ve slipped. Once we stop moving towards our goal, it takes some mental energy to get moving again. Once you do get going, it’s much easier to maintain the movement. The trick is to do something to get yourself moving again in the direction of your goal.
Start small. Start with something simple. Take a warm shower, clean your living room, or tidy up your desk space. Make coffee at home and skip the drive thru. Take a relaxing walk after lunch without the pressure to run a mile. Once you encourage yourself by being diligent in smaller tasks, you’ll be more willing to take on the bigger stuff.
Before you start your day, entrepreneur Ivan Misner suggests that you make a list of what you want to do and what you must do. That way, you can see exactly what needs to be done first. It’s easier to be motivated when you can cross successfully completed items off the list.
Take it easy on yourself. It’s okay to have setbacks. However, it’s important not to think of yourself as a failure. A slip up doesn’t define who you are. Author James Clear believes that these small hiccups make you human. Even the most successful people in the world sometimes slide back into bad habits, and it isn’t their motivation or willpower that separates them from us. It’s their ability to get back on track quickly. Learn to see your slip-ups as stepping stones to better things.
If you’re feeling too overwhelmed to get going again and those feelings are getting in the way of your day-to-day life, it might be beneficial to see a therapist. It can be extremely helpful to have someone to talk through those feelings with. And remember, you don’t have to fix everything today, but taking one small action in the right direction can start you on the path to where you want to be.
If you’d like to set up a time to meet up with Reka, you can contact her by phone at 402-881-8125 and by email at reka@omaha-counseling.com. Make sure to follow us on Twitter or Facebook.
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photo credit: PEI Country Road – HDR via photopin (license)
