I nearly slipped up with my plan to do yoga before bed. I forgot to set the reminder, fell down an internet rabbit hole, realised I’d forgotten to hang up a last minute load of washing…. you know how it goes. Inevitably I found it was nearly bedtime and I no longer had time to do the 35 min yoga video I’d planned.
I was tempted to just start tomorrow, but I know that’s a slippery slope. And having posted about it helped hold me accountable. The first day of a new plan felt a really bad time to let things slip.
So I found a 12 minute bedtime yoga video and did that instead. I generally find that’s not quite long enough to unwind fully, but it was far better than doing nothing.
And I was rewarded not only by the relaxation that comes from the practice, but also by a real sense of pride in having kept my commitment to do something that would nurture me and move me towards achieving the life balance I want.
It’s really important to pay attention to those feelings when trying to make a change. It’s so easy to dash on from one thing to another, so busy trying to fit everything in that you don’t notice how it feels to do the good, meaningful things you’ve committed to.
But it’s a shame to miss how it feels, because paying attention to those positive feelings helps make that activity something you’ll want to come back to. While also reinforcing your sense of yourself as someone who keeps the promises you’ve made to yourself.
And each time you do that, you make yourself more likely to change.
As a coach I find there’s real power in encouraging my clients to notice the progress they’ve made and enjoy it.
Because a change you enjoy is a change that has an excellent chance of sticking.
(I still set that reminder though. It’s also important to spot what is getting in the way of the changes you want to make, and learn from that!)
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