Expecting Less to Get More

There are so many things we can do to improve our lives. Eating better, exercising more, meditating daily, going to bed earlier, waking up earlier, going on walks, journalling, stretching, painting, drawing, hiking, spending time with loved ones, reading, and on, and on, and on. Yet we only have so much time. When we set these lofty goals of waking up 2 hours earlier, so we can stretch, take a walk, eat a slow breakfast, journal, and meditate before work - we’re likely going to disappoint ourselves and reinforce that story that we can’t change.

So what can we do to disrupt that cycle? Pick one thing we want to do differently or a handful and try a little bit of them everyday. If we want to do daily yoga, then maybe we start by doing a 5-10 minute stretch when we wake up or before bed. If we want to eat in a way that feels better for our body, maybe that means making the foods that make our bodies feel good a little easier to grab when we’re hungry. If we want to read more, then maybe finding 5 minutes to sit down with a book.

When we allow ourselves to go in slowly, we will be more likely to create change. It takes a lot of energy to change, so expecting to do everything differently will take a lot of energy - maybe more than you have. Also, if you want something to change, then you need to try something different - which may be trying things slower.

I want to invite you to ask yourself what you imagine yourself doing to make your life different. Once you’ve identified this, how can you take a small step towards it today? If you don’t meet your goal as much as you want, can you try again the next day?

As always, take what is helpful and leave the rest. I hope you have the week you need.