When high achievers think about health and well-being, we tend to think that our efforts must be MAXIMIZED or they don’t count.
Can’t work out for at least an hour? Why bother?
Oh, you ran 3 miles? Watch me run 6! (completely untrained)
If you don’t meditate 7 days/week are you even trying?!?
“Perfection is the enemy of greatness.” ~Janelle Monáe
We set ourselves up to fall short of our own expectations before we even begin.
And we don’t begin because we are already overwhelmed by the unattainable goal we set.
Did you know that pursuing perfection is like squirting lighter fluid on the flames of burnout?
Want to know more about common traps that could be keeping you stuck in a life that is making you sick? Join me for my Masterclass “How to Avoid Common Traps” on Monday, February 22 and 5:00 pm EST. Register here.
And here’s the thing I was reminded of again just the other day. It’s the small habits that fuel our body, mind and soul so that we can do great things.
I was going through some old files this weekend and found a printout titled “Everything Is Awful and I’m Not Okay: questions to ask before giving up” from Aimee Maxwell.
The first three questions on the list are:
- Are you hydrated?
- Have you eaten in the past three hours?
- Have you showered the past day?
This piece reminded me that even when our body and mind feel terrible, sometimes the
solution(s) are simple.
When I start to feel terrible, I reach for my 3 core self-care practices in this order:
- Sleep
- Water
- Food
I only move on to the next step, if I still have energy after the prior step.
If I am already spread thin, I don’t even try to do “perfect” food. I just focus on taking in as many quality calories as I can. The perfectly balanced plate can wait!
One building block at a time. That is not only how we build a sustainable life, it is also how we expand our capacity for impact.
And if we fall short, we begin again. We don’t beat ourselves up for being weak and miserable failures.
Old habits die hard. I know.
Guess what? You don’t have to build your path to well-being alone! I have something exciting coming just for you. Stay tuned!
Booth
p.s. Drink some water and get some sunshine when you can. You are basically a house plant with more complicated emotions.
p.p.s. Want to learn well-being strategies you can apply to every area of your life? Check out my FREE Masterclass. Can’t make it? Register anyway and we will send you the recording.