I’m all about setting goals for yourself. Challenging yourself to grow and get out of your comfort zone is my jam, but boy have I struggled with this through the years; readjusting the sails over and over again to figure out what works for me.
I used to try to change everything…all at once. And I would follow through for a week and become overwhelmed by it all and just stop doing everything, feeling like I’m now ten steps behind where I started and I’m shaming myself about what a failure I am. Rinse and repeat, over and over again, wondering if I’d ever be able to reach my goals.
Everything changed when I decided that instead of changing everything at once, I would change just one thing. If I had one focus, what would shift in my life? That one focus, I decided, would be my nutrition. I decided to do a 21 DSD and it honestly changed my life. This is a detox that is all about clean eating. It completely changed how I eat and what I crave. And what I crave now is to feel good in my body: physically and mentally.
When I’m eating in a way that truly supports my body, I physically feel SO good. I have energy. I sleep well. I don’t have heartburn. I wake up feeling refreshed, instead of foggy. It’s easier to be positive. And I’m more likely to be consistent with my morning routine, movement, tracking my finances, self-care…the list could go on and on. Literally, all of this is tied to how I fuel my body.
Food is the first domino, regardless of it being healthy or unhealthy, it is what determines how I interact in the world. When my interactions in my world start to shift i.e I’m always tired, have a headache, feel bloated, have the urge to withdraw, feel sad, etc., I’ve learned that it’s time to tune into my body and reset, which means return my focus to my nutrition. And wouldn’t you know, this usually happens right after the holidays. Weird…
So in January, it’s usually time for another round of the 21 DSD. Resetting my nutrition helps me go into the new year physically and mentally feeling good. I commit to myself for 21 days (at least) to fully focus on meal planning and prepping each week. That becomes my self-care priority and I make time to make it happen. First, and most important, rule for completing a 21 DSD: be prepared!
Inevitably, if I’m fully focused on my nutrition during this time, other dominos start to fall, creating momentum and propelling me forward. And what has become a big shift in my life, is that I crave good, healthy, delicious food. Food that fuels my body and makes me feel amazing. The heartburn, sleepless nights, stomach aches, negative spirals just aren’t worth it. But it took me a long time to figure this out.
Life is about learning and moving forward using the lessons we learn every day. Changing my relationship with food, didn’t happen overnight. In fact, it’s still a work in progress, and it will be for the rest of my life. But I’m willing to do the work, day in and day out, because I know it’s worth it. I want to show up as my most authentic self and, for me, it all starts with how I fuel my body.
Food is my first domino. What’s yours? You know exactly what it is. It should be an instant, gut response. It could be getting more sleep, moving your body, cutting out soda, eating vegetables every day, creating a morning routine, etc.
Now, whatever your first domino is, let that be your focus right now as we move into 2020. Pick one thing, one focus and eventually other dominos will start to fall. Remember, everyone’s journey will look different. We will all have to adjust our sails a little here and there, and that is part of the process.
What’s your one thing? Share it below and let me know if you need support.
