1/12: CHANGE YOUR MINDSET
I've been thinking about this post all week. This past weekend, I started back into my stretching routine. In the past 5 years I've gone through 2 cycles of very dedicated stretching to take myself from only being able to touch the top of my ankles to being able to touch my toes on a forward bend. But unfortunately, I stopped doing my routine each time as well and regressed each time back to were I started. I try not to beat myself up too much thinking about how flexible I would be had I kept up with this over the past 5 years, but it is still something I massively regret not sticking with.
In the past, I got started because I realized how much time of my life I have wasted just doom scrolling on my phone. I asked myself what benefits I had recevied by doing that, and the answer was.....not much. I told myself that I could either give my time to random people online that mean absolutely nothing to me, or I could give that time to myself. I'm sorry to say that for the past couple years, the damn phone won. Once again I've gotten into that mindset to begin my nightly stretching routine, and even after one week it's amazing how much better I feel, both physically and mentally.
While I should have started this over a year ago, I've started now. Although the start time has been significantly delayed, I clearly know how to get myself started. This issue has always been, how do I keep myself from stopping? It really only dawned on me in the last couple of weeks. In the past, my goal was always to be able to do a forward bend and touch my toes. Each time I started my dedication, I stopped once I was able to touch my toes. The PROBLEM was that I actually hit my goal! While that is of course the point of setting goals, I never had a goal to stretch myself beyond that (pun intended).
So what have I changed on my third go around? I still have a goal of not only touching my toes, but of also being able to get into a full plow position (lying on your back with feet over your head touching the mat). However, that is not THE goal. The goal is now long term health. The goal is maintaining physical well being through flexibility. The goal in to maintain a lifestyle that keeps me in the shape that I desire to be. So now when I am able to touch my toes, I am going to view it as I did achieving a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu. It is a great accomplishment, but it is just another milestone in the journey to continue to improve, day after day.
Hopefully, you have set some goals for youself this year. If you haven't, figure that out now! If you have, think about the end game. If the end game is something that causes you to stop the behaviors that you enacted on your way to that goal, maybe you need to change the end game. If it's a weight loss goal, don't just chase a number and quit the behaviors that got you there, you will regress. Consider the number as just a marker, and continue the behaviors that got you there. If the goal is purchasing something that you have longed for, don't stop the behaviors that generated the income to allow you to make that purchase. Keep that financial discipline as it will benefit you for the rest of your life.
You WILL see me touching my toes during warmups by the summer. You will also see me touching them this time next year. Focus on the behaviors and not the specific reward, and let me know how things worked out at the end of the year.
