In the first post I told you a little bit about change. In Italian, the word cambiamento, change, recalls the idea of changing one’s mind. In fact, to fully make a change, it’s necessary to change our mindset and attitude, taking responsibility for our health and our life.
I know it’s not easy, we are very good at being stuck in the “old” even though it hurts us, and above all, it’s much simpler to complain and play the victim rather than taking action. With regards to this topic, I’d love to share with you something I’ve read in a book:
“Realizing that there is something in our life that we don’t like, doesn’t necessarily imply complaining; it’s the necessary starting point for transformation”
Now that we have understood that we need an active attitude to change, let’s consider the obstacles that keep us stuck in the past:
1. Hurry
I have to admit that this is my favourite, I’m one of those people who often “want it all and now” (I’m Aries, so it’s kind of a prerogative of my sign 😂) and in years I’ve learnt to control this need (more or less always 😅). Hurry is our worst enemy because it pushes us to start a very tough, intense and unrealistic “change plan” (new diet, new training and resolutions of any type). We believe that thanks to an intense start, the process will be shorter and we will obtain more and faster results. Unfortunately, this is so wrong because we will be exhausted sooner than expected. Instead, if we change – or better, substitute – our habits gradually, with an active mindset, being aware of the fact that this new journey is leading us to well-being, and that we are moving away from suffering, results are guaranteed. We’ll have all the time we need to get used to the new routine, respecting our own rhythm. Hurry doesn’t allow us to deeply understand how to get out of the problem.
2. Changing too many things at the same time
This strategy is very stressful: we’re naturally creatures of habit, and changing too many things at the same time is not healthy. My advice is to change your routine little by little focusing on a specific aspect. We can’t expect to become athletes, following a healthy diet and practicing yoga every morning if we have spent our whole life on the sofa eating ice cream. A good idea is to start by taking a short walk every day to become more active, to be more conscious of our health and food choices.
3. Perfectionism
This concept can be explained with the expression “all or nothing”. We want to become perfect athletes, follow a perfect diet, etc. The list could be infinite. The truth is that perfection doesn’t exist and that we often delude ourselves into thinking that we will never fall back into the old habits or that we will never make mistakes. It’s better to lower our expectations and accept ourselves as we are: imperfect and aware of the fact that a mistake is not the end of the world and, most of all, is not a failure, but just a new start.
4. Lack of sleep
Sleeping long enough and deeply is fundamental. If we feel tired, there are more probabilities of giving up. How many times do we feel exhausted and in a bad mood because we haven’t slept enough and then, to feel better, we drink too much coffee, eat too much chocolate or sweet foods and other dishes that give us the feeling of being more energised. Moreover, often, being tired becomes an alibi to avoid cooking or exercising. We need to allow our body to recharge its batteries if we want to feel strong enough to face a transformation.
Now that you also now the 4 obstacles to change, you have no excuses: get out of your comfort zone and start this journey to a new life.
