How Can You Get There? Well, How Did You Get HERE?
I walked a 10k with a client who has lost 55 pounds this morning.
When we hit mile six–.2 miles away from the finish line–the last hour and a half of speed walking was getting to her. Her legs were aching and sweat was beading on her face. As motivation in those last couple minutes, I said:
“Imagine yourself a year and a half ago, when you were at your heaviest and had trouble even getting up from sitting. Would you ever have thought that you’d be walking a 10k at 15-minute miles, having lost more than a quarter of your total body weight?”
She answered with a laugh, obviously brought back out of the pain and back to the triumph of the moment:
“NO.”
It got me thinking…
2 years ago, the farthest I’d ever traveled was London… when I was 15… with my family…
That had been the only international trip I had ever taken.
Oh wait, there was that cruise I went on to Mexico… with my family.
Bottom line: I had never been able to fund a trip for myself nor did I think I would be able to by now.
I always thought of travel as some extraordinary expense to be saved for my honeymoon or for whenever I got massively rich… which was never really a goal of mine, so basically that put me in the no-travel-ever zone.
Over the last year, I’ve been to Portland, Costa Rica, New Hampshire, NorCal (does that count? …not really), Paris and last week, I was in Boston… sitting in the American Airlines Admirals Club.
Are you kidding me?
Is this real life?
I took a shower at the freaking airport. I didn’t even know they had such a thing until right before my flight!
Point is: 2 years ago, I had no idea any of this was possible. I hadn’t started Strong Inside Out. I had no vision for what I wanted to do with my life except for I wanted fitness to be involved.
I knew what I wanted–an adventurous, passionate life–but I had no idea how I would ever get there.
The difference between 2 years ago and today?
I went from being just a dreamer to being a dreamer AND a doer.
It’s the same with my client: she had no idea how she would get to where she is now, but she started taking action and just doing something. She called the right people, started making the right choices, and took responsibility for her life.
In 98% of cases, it’s the same requirements: You must take action to make your dreams reality.
I took those dreams and forced myself to figure it out; to take a chance.
I started making friends with fear and anxiety, because I realized they may never go away. Now I use them as a sign that sh** needs to get done!
My point for today is this:
Whether you want to be fitter, healthier, more “successful,” loved, happier, less stressed, more confident, or anything else that you currently are not, you have this chance–right now–to get there.
Today, I want to try a little exercise with you. If you’re not into it, that’s cool. Just askin’ you to try it out. Look it over.
…You can do it when no one’s looking if you’re curious. No judgements.
Look at all the things you’ve accomplished over the last year
How many of those goals did you look at before you’d started trying to achieve them, not knowing where to start?
Isn’t it crazy to look at yourself today, from that 1-year-ago-you’s perspective? What would he/she give to be you right now?
Are there things you regret doing over the last year? That’s fine. Lessons are necessary for growth and we all have them. To make a mistake a lesson, however, you must be willing to learn something from it; do something different next time!
Looking back, was taking those steps really that difficult in the end?
Wasn’t it worth overcoming your fears to push yourself out of your comfort zone into something new, so that you could achieve something new?
Think of all the goals you want to accomplish in the next year
How you want to feel, where you want to live, what kind of work you want to be doing, hell, how you want to look…
If those are big goals, I understand that they can be scary looking at them in their end-form state. But just imagine, a lot of the goals you’ve already accomplished looked scary at the beginning. You still got through it! You still conquered it!
Commit to taking one action toward one goal this week
That’s it.
That’s all you have to do.
‘Cause you know what?
If you do this every week, you’ll be there–or at least making major headway–by this time next year.
Then you’ll be looking back on this moment wondering what all the fuss was about.
Having trouble taking that first step toward your goals?
I am so excited to be able to help you more very, very soon. My first book’s design is almost done, and is just about up for download here.
Make sure to stay in the know (and get a special half-off deal for subscribers!) by signing up for the Strong Inside Out email list below.
Wishing you all an amazing pre-Memorial Day week!
Amy
If you liked this post, chickity check these, too: The Truth About Change and I’m Engaged to A Practice Date: Take A Chance And Change Your Life.
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pictures (adapted by me): 1- Neal., 2- Pink Sherbet Photography, 3- kevin dooley
What a great title for this article – and a great article. Love it!
kylie frost recently posted..The Show Goes On….
Thanks, Kylie!
Wow – congrats to your student who did the 10k and lost 55 pounds! You don’t just get credit for all the action that you’ve taken in your life Amy but all the action you’ve inspired in the lives of your readers and clients!
THe first step is the key to every kind of action, no?
Vishnu recently posted..Anything that delays action is resistance.
Thank you, Vishnu! I’m so proud of them and all my clients. I’m happy to say that every one of them has achieved a major milestone!
Yes, the first step is definitely the key to action, and unfortunately the hardest one for most. I’m hoping my book will really help with this!
There is nothing that feels quite like accomplishment. I’ve been on quite a journey to lose weight, be healthier and happier. It’s been a great time with lots of successes, but I can remember when so many of those goals seemed far away.
I was once a novice mountain biker that fell on the easiest of obstacles. Now I teach others the sport and am ready to start competing in races. One of the best feelings you get as you learn comes each time you did an obstacle or climb that you were never able to complete before. It’s takes continual work in the right direction and never giving up.
I wonder what your 10K’er will be able to do next year, two years or five years from now. I certainly hope it’s fulfill every dream!
Bryan Weller recently posted..The Secret Killer
Wow, Bryan! Congratulations on everything you’ve achieved so far! I’m so happy that you’re here enriching the Strong Inside Out community!
You can even think of this phenomenon in terms of decades: 10 years ago today, I was clinically depressed, extremely anxious all the time, had violent mood swings and was on the path to become an actress. I felt like I had no control of my life; I was a victim of my depression.
Today, I look back at that girl and I want to just hug her. I want to hug her until she can’t cry anymore and tell her, “See? Everything DOES turn out alright in the end. It always does.”
I’m sure that my 10k-er will achieve above and beyond what she thinks she will at this point, just as she did from the point at which she started a year ago. 55 pounds in just over a year! I’m convinced this woman can do anything. More on her to come very soon, by the way!
Thanks for sharing a bit of your story. I hope to hear more from you soon!
This post came at a good time. Right now I am not really focused on any one thing. I’ve recently jumped back into a healthier eating pattern that I can live with. For both vanity and health reasons. I am really working on the spiritual/emotional side. I want to be happy and this past weekend I had the best weekend I’ve had in years. We did not do anything special, but everything fell into place. I really think it was the first time I’ve felt happy & peaceful in my entire life. I’m 49 now so I’ve been around a while. It is feeling that way that I am currently striving for. I’ve taken the advice of cutting the toxic people from my life and believe letting them go on an emotional level is part of the reason. Keep posts like this one coming as I need to work my mind more than my body.
I am so happy to hear that this post was timely for you! Comments like this are the reason I write. Congratulations on taking those important steps to comprehensive health and thank you for sharing, Paula. I will definitely keep these kinds of posts coming!
A very well timed article. I was just sitting here telling myself that I’m stuck. In my job, at my weight, in my life. I have a hard time changing because I want to everything all at once. I think doing one goal at a time would work for me, if I can stick to it.
Nicole, I’m so glad you came over and commented.
My mission in life is to inspire as many people as possible to un-”stuck” themselves. You are never stuck. I talk a LOT more about this in my upcoming book!
Taking one step at a time is the least scary way to create change in your life. I HIGHLY recommend this method when you’re looking at big changes and are feeling overwhelmed by all of it at once!
You can do this, Nicole. Every day, all you have to do is take one step. That’s it. Most definitely doable, right?
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me on the contact form, or just email me at amy@stronginsideout.com. Creating change is what I’m passionate about and I’d be more than happy to help you through it!
A while ago, I read a passage somewhere that said something along the lines of “a goal without action is just a dream”….what you wrote had me thinking about that. It also reminded me of Denzel Washington’s commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania, when he mentioned that his wife once said to him “to get what you never had, you have to do what you never did.” Those are little tidbits of wisdom that I’ve always been glad to remember.
Nicole/MadlabPost recently posted..Monday Movie Meme meets Jude Law’s ‘Variety Club’ on Memorial Day
Amy –
The dreamer/doer concept has always been something that has troubled me deeply. I’m full of dreams, thoughts, and goals that I want to achieve. But, I’ve always just been a dreamer. I’ve always been afraid to truly go after being the kind of person I would like to be, doing what I think I would like to be doing. What troubles me, is the fact that I KNOW that I am fully capable of breaking through that barrier of non-action into action, but have yet to do it. Depression has had a lot to do with that, but isn’t the only reason why I’ve held myself back.
I feel like there is a huge storage of potential inside me, just waiting to explode into existence. One of my biggest fears is that I will never unleash that potential. It literally is something that occupies my mind on a daily basis, and has been for the past 10 years or so. I feel that if I do not break away from pessimism and negativity sooner than later, I will be doomed to live life miserably for the rest of my days. Ironically, I also believe that am destined to become the person I wish to be, and there literally isn’t any other option for me but to do exactly that. I’m on the precipice of awesome change, and the thought alone that I will overcome some big obstacles that have been holding me back is an inspiring feeling. I love reading your blog, it speaks to me directly on so many issues that I have been dealing with! Thank you for your wisdom!
On a side note: Are you familiar with the work of Dr. Wayne Dyer? I’ve read a few of his books, and watched a couple of his seminars, and I really like his message. I was just curious if you knew who he was? Have a good day!
James
James, you have an enormous amount of potential. You have something to offer this world that no one else does: YOU. Your unique perspective and offerings can change lives.
The time to take action is now, James! YOU CAN DO THIS! I can’t wait to see what you accomplish from here. :)
P.S. I have heard of Dr. Wayne Dyer, but don’t follow him that closely. A friend of mine swears by his books and talks. I’ll have to give him a closer read!