Setbacks on your Lifestyle Plan
As I was leaving the library yesterday I started thinking of what happens when we are stressed, panicked and revert to old patterns of behavior.
Two years ago I made the decision to not buy books unless it was a reference book for the office that I would need to constantly refer to. I decided buying books was not only a waste of paper but using up space in my house I did not have. The ipad revolution has yet to infiltrate my world, but it may be around the corner.
Every time I left the library and returned a book I felt a sense of peace and tranquility that I had helped the environment by being green, besides being able to enjoy a book or movie that others had also read or watched.
Many of you know I got a puppy 7 weeks ago.? What happened? I panicked and went on Amazon and ordered a few books on puppy training without even a thought of my resolution. About 2 weeks later I realized what I had done and reigned myself in and went back to the library.
This frequently happens with lifestyle behaviors we have resolved to change. With food, we make a decision to eat balanced, “clean” whole foods and then stress gets the best of us, we get sick or have a crisis and revert back to former eating patterns without a second thought.
The good news is as soon as you have awareness of what is going on, you can go back to your decision. Although you may be left with a few extra pounds (like the additional books in my house) soon that weight can be lost.
And it does get easier. Next time I have a major life change I probably won’t be going on Amazon to buy a new book. Just like the library has most everything I need, all the resiliency you need to stay on track is inside yourself – you just need to remember it’s there and access it when you need it.
Setbacks only need to be temporary – get back on track and keep in mind why you made that decision in the first place and how great you feel when you hold onto the behavior on a regular basis.
