© Lauren Archer – 425-881-7082 – www.PositiveCentral.com
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Persistence: Starting Over, and Starting Over Again … And Again By Lauren Archer Finkelstein, CH
It is the rare person who has the self-discipline to exercise daily, or even every other day. Often life gets busy, projects come up, travel plans interfere, or health challenges take us off course from our intended plans. When this happens, we can choose how we respond to our circumstances. We can fall into old belief patterns and say things to ourselves like “I blew it,” or “Why bother keeping up – I’ve already missed so many days in a row,” or "I'm never able to stick to my plans."
Here’s another way to look at things: We all begin. And like the airline pilot who makes thousands of course corrections between Point A and Point B, we may find ourselves off course occasionally. But then we can become aware of (pay attention to) our situation and “course correct,” as we simply begin AGAIN. And AGAIN, and AGAIN.
It doesn’t matter how many times we get off course. If we simply continue to get back on again, no matter how gently or slowly we restart, sooner or later we will be making progress toward our goal.
Keep this in mind with your exercise program and your eating habits. There may be temporary set-backs. In fact, I can virtually guarantee it. But remember, there really is no such thing as failure, only results. Look at the results you have manifested in your life. And like the old song, “if you’re tired of the same old story, turn some pages.” Use your attention and your will to focus your energy on what you want. Honor your progress to date – no matter how sporadic. Every small step is moving closer to your goal. Be willing to begin again. Even for a few minutes. Begin lightly, slowly, gently. And then, begin again. And again. No matter how many times it takes.
I have my good weeks and my “not-so-good” weeks. I try to work out 5 days a week, but I don’t always achieve that goal. Many weeks I’m lucky to work out 3 times. Some weeks I have conflicting commitments and may miss an entire week. Or more. When this happens, I try to honor myself and allow it to be – for only a couple of days. When it's been more than 3-4 days, I have to reach into my metaphysical tool bag for some tricks to get me back on track.
Sometimes it’s healthy to take a break and not work out for several days. Sometimes it’s not. How do you know? Through self-awareness and self-discipline. If you go longer than 3-4 days without working out, you may find it harder to get restarted again. I try not to go longer than 3 days without a work-out. That being said, I have gone as long as 4 weeks, and then, with a deep breath, a bit of strain, and mustering up every ounce of my inner strength, I began again. And again.
My point in writing this is to remind you that you are not alone, that we are all human, and that mistakes will happen. They happen to all of us. We don’t need to beat ourselves up over them. We can simply, without judgment, begin again. And again. And again. Best wishes to you on your journey, --Lauren (c) 2005 Laurie Finkelstein Consulting LLC "I am not the smartest or most talented person in the world, but I succeed because I keep going, and going, and going." Sylvester Stallone "I realized early on that success was tied to not giving up. Most people in this business gave up and went on to other things. If you simply didn't give up, you would outlast the people who came in on the bus with you." Harrison Ford "In the realm of ideas, everything depends on enthusiasm; in the real world, all rests on perseverance." Johann von Goethe
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