Two weeks has turned into 3 months with no signs of the finish line. The luckiest of us have been able to coax ourselves into a structure of physical routines that support our health. We’re eating, sleeping, moving our bodies. These are all good things.
But what about our mindset? How do we really feel? In a world that literally changes outcomes and directions, new focuses, more bad news, a glimmer of hope, yes, no, good, bad, all within a week or day finding a proactive vs. reactive mindset can be life changing. And also difficult.
What are the key elements?
Hold tight to a vision of the end game.
What does your ideal life look like? Maybe that’s a new one developed recently with COVID as the catalyst, maybe it’s getting back to what Feb 1 looked like. The more details you can build around this ideal life, the stronger the vision.
Know how you want to feel.
Remind yourself of those things. Some days, it may take many times. Think through the behaviors and actions that create those feelings.
Stay true to you values.
Knowing and reminding yourself of what is important to you is, well, so important.
Start each day here.
Reflect, journal, meditate. Remind yourself of the end game, how you want to feel each day and what your values are. Begin with intention, purpose, vision. We’ve learned (during these last three months) that the winds of emotion, new information, good news, bad news, will whip HARD. How can we be as ready as possible for the winds vs. be at their whim?
If you’ve never written down your values or desired feelings, that is a perfect place to start.
One of the very best tips I’ve picked recently from Tara Mohr in Playing Big is to take advice from myself in 20 years. For me, that’s a vision of Lee at age 62. 1. She turns out just fine and lives a happy and fulfilled life (whew!), and 2. It’s a calming presence of the future. A reminder that this moment of difficulty is a blip in the big picture. It also helps me to remember that I have ownership and responsibility in how 62 year old Lee will turn out.
For years my morning meditation practice involved a check in with how I want to feel and my values. But with the tornado of COVID unleashed into my life, I have spent the last three months mostly reacting to the out of control spin. Reacting vs. doing my very best to proactively approach the snarly, windy mess on my terms. From the place of how I want to live my life.
When there is no finish line, we call it life, living. We’re living through history and unprecedented times, but how will we choose to LIVE the coming weeks, days, years?
In health,
Lee
Author Lee Carson is a writer, health advocate, principal and co-founder at Hyatt Training. She believes in a minimally processed whole-foods approach to nutrition, and loves sharing ways to use food and movement as catalysts and tools for optimal health. Learn more about Lee, or get in touch with her by emailing us at Go@HyattTraining.com.
Hyatt Training is a collective of certified, enthusiastic and innovative personal trainers in Portland, Oregon. To read more nutrition-related posts like this one, follow this link.
