I have stayed in a fairly regular movement routine for over 20 years.
Nothing fancy.
Nothing particularly noteworthy.
Just moving my body 4-6 days a week.
One season was tennis 4x/week.
Other times, a 30-minute walk on a treadmill in the gym with three kids under 4 at the gym childcare.
Sometimes yoga. Or a hike in the dunes. Paddle boarding Lake Michigan. Road biking.
This winter, it's been pilates 1-2x/week for strength and the other days I'm walking my dog for 45-60 minutes.
Nothing intense.
Just consistent.
And I'm so grateful for the effects that consistency has had on my physical, mental, and emotional health over the past two decades.
It has me thinking about what I see with my clients.
The new habits they are forming that in the moment seem like a one-time shot and not all that significant of an achievement.
A week of meal planning.
Sitting down to eat.
Taking a glass of water to your favorite chair instead of ripping open a bag of chips when you come home.
Choosing to come home and make your home cooked meal versus a quick drive-thru run.
All of this imperfectly (perfection will never be the goal by the way), but showing up for these things over and over and building the muscle of consistency.
I want to encourage you to notice the compounding effect of showing up for these seemingly insignificant habits over and over and over.
Because in the moment...
It might feel so mundane.
It might feel so insignificant.
It might not be all that exciting.
It might just feel ordinary or meaningless.
It might not feel important or worth it in the moment.
It's just this one time. Does it even matter?
The answer is YES.
Yes, it matters.
Maybe looking at it in the moment doesn't feel all that impactful.
But string all consistent moments together and you get something really special.
Take a moment and find the one habit you have begun to implement recently...
...or want to implement.
Even if it feels insignificant in the moment.
Consider the compounding effect of doing something consistently.
Over and over and over.
Sitting down versus standing up to eat.
Eating lunch versus skipping.
Walking 30 minutes versus not going.
Going to bed at 10 or 11pm versus midnight or even later.
Grocery shopping this week versus not shopping and winging it.
If you keep this up, consider where you will be in...
...six months
...one year
...five years
...ten years
...twenty years
20 years might feel hard to imagine.
But when I think back to my exercise routine, I can look back on my younger self 20 years ago and say Thank you.
Thank you for showing up even when you didn't want to.
Thank you for being committed to us. The future versions of us.
Thank you for the gift you're giving the me today because you kept showing up.
You kept saying yes. You stayed consistent.
Nothing extraordinary. Just consistent.
And imagine that future version of you 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, even 20 years from now looking back on the YOU here today and her saying >>> THANK YOU.
Thank you for taking that step to form this new habit / habits.
Thank you for moving your body even when you didn't want to.
Thank you for taking those 10 minutes to stretch even though it felt insignificant.
Thank you for choosing to make a home cooked meal instead of running through the drive-thru.
Thank you for being committed to us. The future of us.
Thank you for showing up for us. The future of us.
Thank you for the gift you've given us.
Show up for your nourishing habit and your nourishing mindset.
One consistent effort at a time.
