Making your dreams manageable with micromovements
Starting a big project or going after your goals can be daunting. It just seems like there’s too much to do or even to think about. How will you ever get there from here?
It’s simple. Take that mountain of a goal, and break it down into manageable pieces. Take for example the dream of completing a marathon. Breaking that goal down might look something like this:
-do some research and find a local running club to join for encouragement
-invest in good running shoes to prevent injury
-complete a series of shorter runs to build confidence, such as a local 5k fun run followed by a 10k the next month
-set up an exercise schedule that fits your needs
-go for a daily run
-adjust your diet and sleep patterns for optimum health
So you go through the motions, find contact information for the running club, plan out a schedule, maybe even take note of an ad for a charity 5k. Mentally, you feel like you’re on the right track. Except for one small thing: you haven’t run a single step. Your poor sneakers are sitting by the door looking forlorn and a little lonesome. Why is that?
Resistance. We all encounter it some times in one context or another. What if you get out there and can’t do it? What if you get in great shape and no one notices? What if you turn out to be a turtle instead of the cheetah your ego wants you to be? What if… what if is the enemy. All those critical messages you have absorbed about yourself from family, friends, and the media are rolling around in the back of your mind like big rocks crashing down on your hope and your self esteem. How can you ever hope to turn them into harmless pebbles?
The easiest way is not to invest heavily in psychotherapy, although counselling is wonderful for those in dire straits. The easiest way is to find the smallest unit of action that doesn’t tip off your inner critics and start those rocks rolling. For our goal of running, the smallest unit might be just to put on those running shoes and wear them around the house for an afternoon. Now your inner critics don’t view the shoes as an alarm that there’s change coming. Those aren’t really running shoes, just a kind of slippers with good arch support. The next day, wear those shoes to walk to the mailbox or the corner store. Put on your exercise gear and walk around the block. Do that daily for a week or so, gradually increasing your distance. You could start jogging slowly at this point if you feel confident and are feeling the rewards of exercise already, or if you need a bit more time to cement your habit, keep walking for another two weeks. Studies show it takes about 21 days to form a new habit. Once the walk is an innocuous part of your day, graduate to a ten or fifteen minute jog.
Now that you’re a runner, you can probably sign up for that running club without encountering resistance. Be sure to join a group that will accommodate your pace or you’ll get frustrated. The social support you receive from being in a group of like-minded people will keep you enthusiastic about your goal. It’s probably time to start looking for that charity 5k at this point. Fun runs are a wonderful way to meet other runners and celebrate your achievement.
Buy a few running magazines for inspiration and advice. They usually have a calendar of events that will tell you about races coming up for the next few months or even the next year. Pick a marathon in a location you’ve always wanted to visit and imagine yourself crossing the finish line in an exotic locale. Post a photo of the city or a copy of the ad for the race on your bathroom mirror so you see it every day.
Now that you’ve been running for a few months and have the habit firmly engrained in your schedule, you may want to consult a coach about a training program for long runs, or read one of the many books on the subject. Make an appointment with a nutritionist to help you plan meals that support your fitness goals. There will probably be a more experienced runner in your group that will be able to help you with this as well.
Don’t try to replace your current eating habits wholesale. This will awaken your resistance, and you may suddenly find yourself tired of running all together. Boredom is often a disguise resistance wears- your attention will suddenly shift to something completely different to avoid those nasty “what ifs” we talked about earlier. Gradually integrate new foods and eating patterns, getting used to each new aspect slowly before introducing the next.
Now that you’re a fit runner with all kinds of new friends and healthy habits, celebrate your achievement by running that marathon! It’s a reward instead of a dream, and you deserve it!
It’s simple. Take that mountain of a goal, and break it down into manageable pieces. Take for example the dream of completing a marathon. Breaking that goal down might look something like this:
-do some research and find a local running club to join for encouragement
-invest in good running shoes to prevent injury
-complete a series of shorter runs to build confidence, such as a local 5k fun run followed by a 10k the next month
-set up an exercise schedule that fits your needs
-go for a daily run
-adjust your diet and sleep patterns for optimum health
So you go through the motions, find contact information for the running club, plan out a schedule, maybe even take note of an ad for a charity 5k. Mentally, you feel like you’re on the right track. Except for one small thing: you haven’t run a single step. Your poor sneakers are sitting by the door looking forlorn and a little lonesome. Why is that?
Resistance. We all encounter it some times in one context or another. What if you get out there and can’t do it? What if you get in great shape and no one notices? What if you turn out to be a turtle instead of the cheetah your ego wants you to be? What if… what if is the enemy. All those critical messages you have absorbed about yourself from family, friends, and the media are rolling around in the back of your mind like big rocks crashing down on your hope and your self esteem. How can you ever hope to turn them into harmless pebbles?
The easiest way is not to invest heavily in psychotherapy, although counselling is wonderful for those in dire straits. The easiest way is to find the smallest unit of action that doesn’t tip off your inner critics and start those rocks rolling. For our goal of running, the smallest unit might be just to put on those running shoes and wear them around the house for an afternoon. Now your inner critics don’t view the shoes as an alarm that there’s change coming. Those aren’t really running shoes, just a kind of slippers with good arch support. The next day, wear those shoes to walk to the mailbox or the corner store. Put on your exercise gear and walk around the block. Do that daily for a week or so, gradually increasing your distance. You could start jogging slowly at this point if you feel confident and are feeling the rewards of exercise already, or if you need a bit more time to cement your habit, keep walking for another two weeks. Studies show it takes about 21 days to form a new habit. Once the walk is an innocuous part of your day, graduate to a ten or fifteen minute jog.
Now that you’re a runner, you can probably sign up for that running club without encountering resistance. Be sure to join a group that will accommodate your pace or you’ll get frustrated. The social support you receive from being in a group of like-minded people will keep you enthusiastic about your goal. It’s probably time to start looking for that charity 5k at this point. Fun runs are a wonderful way to meet other runners and celebrate your achievement.
Buy a few running magazines for inspiration and advice. They usually have a calendar of events that will tell you about races coming up for the next few months or even the next year. Pick a marathon in a location you’ve always wanted to visit and imagine yourself crossing the finish line in an exotic locale. Post a photo of the city or a copy of the ad for the race on your bathroom mirror so you see it every day.
Now that you’ve been running for a few months and have the habit firmly engrained in your schedule, you may want to consult a coach about a training program for long runs, or read one of the many books on the subject. Make an appointment with a nutritionist to help you plan meals that support your fitness goals. There will probably be a more experienced runner in your group that will be able to help you with this as well.
Don’t try to replace your current eating habits wholesale. This will awaken your resistance, and you may suddenly find yourself tired of running all together. Boredom is often a disguise resistance wears- your attention will suddenly shift to something completely different to avoid those nasty “what ifs” we talked about earlier. Gradually integrate new foods and eating patterns, getting used to each new aspect slowly before introducing the next.
Now that you’re a fit runner with all kinds of new friends and healthy habits, celebrate your achievement by running that marathon! It’s a reward instead of a dream, and you deserve it!