Your Biggest Competition? YOU! 6 Ways to Stop Chasing Your Old Self
Do you know why most people are unhappy with their bodies? It’s not what you think!
Meg and I hear it almost every week. The four little words that are stealing the joy and happiness out of so many women’s lives….”I used to be.” Does it sound familiar? “I used to be 20 pounds skinnier.” “I used to be so much faster when I ran.” “I used to be a size 2.” “I used to be able to lose weight without even trying.” “I used to be able to run half marathons.” Gosh, I just realized I could go on and on, but you probably have already heard yourself in one of those statements.
Well, I used to think that what was causing women to be unhappy with themselves, was that they were competing with the images they saw on social media and magazines, comparing themselves to unrealistic images that flood their instagram feed, but then we really started to listen to our clients and we realized…that ain’t it! The women were all chasing is who they were 5, 10, or even 20 years ago, not the Instagram model.
I used to tell my daughters all the time that “Comparision is the thief of joy,” and it is absolutely the truth! Think about how awesome your family vacation to the beach was… until your friend told you about her trip to Hawaii. Competition breeds discontent with our current circumstances and leaves us feeling unfulfilled and dissatisfied. This same competition creeps into our lives when we spend all of our time looking over our shoulders at what we used to be. Instead of celebrating a 5 mile run, we are disappointed we didn’t run the 8 minute mile we did 5 years ago. When we are constantly chasing the glamorized version we see in our old self, we fail to be content, and dare I say even delighted, with the women we are today!
“Comparison is the thief of joy”
Here are some practical ways to change course and start heading in a new direction - one that isn’t looking back!
Celebrate your accomplishments today, and don’t compare them to any other day
If you are taking steps to be healthier in any way shape or form, celebrate that and pat yourself on the back. Making healthier choices with eating, working out, or making sleep a priority, are all awesome things that are moving you in a positive direction, try to enjoy the journey without comparing it to any other time in your life.
Don’t allow the competition with your old self to stop you from moving forward
We see this a lot with people starting into fitness or healthy eating for the first time in a while. When people don’t see the results they had in their youth, they get discouraged and stop working out or eating healthy altogether. The truth of the matter is that living a healthy lifestyle takes some effort, it doesn’t just happen. When we give up and stop making any effort, we get further from our goals. You may not have the results you did before, you are a different person with different circumstances. Try to stay focused on making positive changes now.
Make reasonable goals for yourself
That takes me to my next point - don’t make your goals based on anything other than where you are today. Make your goals small and relevant based on your current lifestyle and not who you were. Take an honest inventory of who you are right now and what one or two short-term goals are that you would like to see accomplished. Focus on those goals, and then move on to new ones once you achieve them - Don’t forget to celebrate! Need help setting goals - here is a great place to start.
Become your own cheerleader
It’s hard to tear yourself down when you are cheering for yourself. Try to make it a habit to pat yourself on the back for all the small things you do to move in the direction of healthier living. You worked out today - awesome! You made a healthy family meal - fantastic! Every time you acknowledge your positive steps toward your goals, you are keeping your eyes focused ahead of you instead of behind you.
Practice positive self talk!
Recognize that you’ve changed
Change does not have to be a bad thing - with time comes maturity and experience. The person you are today is a much wiser person and that person is worth celebrating!
Listen, there is a reason why we make a big deal out of 30-year-old Olympic athletes, our bodies peak at a pretty young age. The “fittest man in history”, Crossfit’s Mat Fraser retired at the ripe old age of 31. When elite trained athletes recognize that their bodies are changing…we probably should too. Cut yourself a break! That doesn’t mean we have to throw in the towel, but we should acknowledge that we have changed and that’s ok! We may not run as fast as we did in college but we can still run and workout. Our bodies will only stay strong if we continue to work at it - so don’t stop!
Be a good role model for your daughters and sons
We leave a legacy for our children, especially our daughter’s when they see us chasing our youth. Spend time creating positive memories as a family doing fun active things! Focus on the here and now! You will be an amazing role model of how to care for your body that goes against what society is telling your children. Be the voice with the loudest message!
You can do this - It won’t be an easy habit to break, but you will be so much happier! Be happy with who you are today, it’s a pretty awesome person! You can do it!