“Allow yourself to be a beginner. No one starts off being excellent.”
-Wendy Flynn
Growth is exciting, hard, and messy all at the same time. The beginning of a new start is exciting because you can imagine all the great possibilities ahead. It becomes hard when it is time to execute and move forward in the process. Growth and change are hard. Creating new habits, being intentional, and implementing new routines take a lot of time and focus. It becomes messy when things do not always go as planned. When you make mistakes or fall short, it is often hard to motivate yourself to keep going. Going through those different phases of change can be discouraging, but it does not have to end in defeat. The beginning of something new is always the hardest part, which is why it is important that you allow yourself room to grow and fully process the change you are working to create. Give yourself the opportunity to make mistakes and fail, because the process is not going to be perfect; you just have to be determined to keep moving forward even when you fall short.
What is one thing you want to accomplish this year? When you think of the process of reaching your goal, does it inspire or terrify you? Focusing on things from a macro perspective can make the process overwhelming because it makes reaching your goals seem impossible. What if you started to focus on the baby steps it would take to accomplish your goals? How might those baby steps inspire you to see the possibilities of what you can achieve?
The excitement of accomplishing something new can sometimes cause you to push yourself to unreasonable limits; instead, take things one step at a time. It’s easy to rush the process, and when things don’t happen as you would like, things become frustrating. One thing to remember is that growth is a process. Change takes time and doesn’t happen overnight. If you take baby steps and focus on making little changes every day, over time those changes will produce results.
I remember when I first started my journey to getting healthier and working out. I was so excited about the possibilities of how I would look and feel. I often imagined myself in a two-piece swimsuit walking on the beach with my hair blowing in the wind, looking like the best version of myself. That’s not my main reason for getting healthier, but it is something that excites me and motivates me to keep going. I know that the process of reaching that goal doesn’t happen overnight; it requires me to work at it every day, which is the hard part. Every day, I focus on the baby steps of what I eat, when I work out, and making sure I get the rest and amount of water I need. Sometimes the execution doesn’t always go as planned. I sometimes get tired or fail to eat right and lose focus. When I experience those moments, I don’t allow them to determine the future of me moving forward. I start where I am, or sometimes the next day, and keep moving forward. There are days when things are hard and workouts are tough, but I always remember the purpose behind why I’m doing what I do. This encourages me to keep pushing forward.
I started my fitness and health journey four years ago and I have made so much progress. I am thirty pounds lighter than when I first started. If I had given up in the beginning all those times I messed up, I would have never gotten to where I am today. Allowing myself the space to learn, grow, and make mistakes has helped me learn how to adjust and change so that I could reach my goal. I understood that the process would not be perfect because I was learning to break habits that I had lived with all my life. It takes a lot of time to unlearn bad habits and create new ones. This was all the more reason for me to give myself the room I needed to grow and change.
This past year, my newfound love for running added a spark of excitement to my fitness journey. I realized that sometimes we need to add something fresh to the mix so we don’t get too comfortable in the process. Running hasn’t been easy; it takes a lot of hard work and consistency to build up endurance to run longer distances. I feel so challenged and encouraged as I work towards this goal of building endurance every day. This overall journey to health has also helped me build the discipline needed in my life to pursue the other goals that God put in my heart. I have learned that when you really lock in and focus on one area, it will trickle down to other areas of your life.
When you allow yourself space to grow, it makes the journey a little more exciting and takes away a lot of the pressure that comes with things being perfect. I realize that I am not perfect and that I will have good days and bad days. I know that ups and downs are part of the process; it’s my commitment to stay consistent that really makes the difference.
As I reflect on my journey these are some things that have helped me to give myself room to grow:
1.) Take things one step at a time
Remember that the goal will not happen overnight. Taking things one step at a time helps you stay focused and not get frustrated when things don’t go as planned. It also gives you the time and flexibility to find solutions to adjustments that need to be made. Focus on the baby steps you can achieve every day.
2.) Focus on progress rather than perfection
Don’t expect perfection! You will mess up, fail and fall short at times, how you respond to those obstacles determines everything. Make it your goal to keep moving forward not matter the failure you experience. Focus on making small progress everyday day, rather than having every detail go perfect.
3.) Remember your purpose
Remember the purpose behind why you are working towards your goal. Allow that purpose to keep pushing you forward. Remember how far you’ve come and how you’ve changed overtime and let that inspire you to keep going.
There will be moments where you mess up, fall short, and times when you will have to start again. It’s all part of the process because often times the process you may imagine as a straight line is really more like zigzags. When you allow yourself room to grow and give yourself permission to be human, you are more likely to take risks and enjoy the journey. I want to encourage you to keep pushing forward and give yourself room to grow through the process of change. Don’t give up when you fall short; know that growth is a process and some of our greatest mistakes can lead to our greatest growth. Thanks for reading!
What’s a goal you are currently working towards? How has your first week of the New Year been? Comment below. I would love to have a conversation and hear your story.
Intentional Hope 