Celebrate Your Progress

We are nearly eight weeks into 2018. This means that if you began a “new you” program of any kind on New Year’s Day, you’ve been at it for a good amount of time.

Where are you today? I don’t mean geographically. I mean, where are you with whatever ideals, goals, plans, and resolutions that you made January 1? Have you made progress? Are you stuck? Has the fun of doing something new worn off? Are you moving along at a good pace?

Where are you today?

February can be a challenge for most of us. We may not be as excited as we wish we were about our new endeavors. Perhaps we think we SHOULD be making more progress or that there is such a small amount of improvement, it doesn’t matter.

It does matter. Everything matters. Every tiny bit of improvement you make adds up over time and leads to massive success! Congratulations for being here!

One of my goals this year is to meditate daily. When I look at my meditation tracker, the daily part did not happen. In fact, my focus on this habit has not been consistent at all. OOPS!

Here’s the good news: I have meditated more in the last two months than I probably did all last year. That is success and I feel as though I am making progress. Not only that, I am also practicing avoiding the SHOULDS. This means having the mindset that I look forward to meditating, instead of I SHOULD do this because it helps me focus, slows me down, and allows me to connect with the Divine. I’m experiencing more of “I feel like” instead of “I have to.” Progress. Slow. Progress.

In the world of food, it could go something like this: perhaps you are practicing eating more greens. You had a spinach salad almost everyday in January and now, you are growing weary of spinach salad. It feels like a SHOULD. Well, in a way it is because we should eat lots of vegetables for all the reasons you know to be true. Let’s face it; most of us know what we need to do—what we should do—to be healthier. Why don’t we do it? It is easier to revert back to our old habits when we get busy or stressed. Then it feels too hard to move forward. Hence, the vicious cycle. Lose the weight; gain the weight; rinse and repeat.

Today, think about whatever it is that you felt excited about doing January 1, 2018. Reflect on what you have been working on and what it is you’re doing that makes you feel good. Maybe you worked out twice a week as opposed to never. Maybe you have been cutting back on the cookies or the beer. Maybe you are simply noticing that you feel a bit more energy when you eat that spinach salad. Whatever it is, celebrate your success in some way that makes you smile. If there is more you would like to accomplish, make note of it and post it where you see it daily. Let’s move forward together and be a little bit better than we were last year!

“Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.”–James Bryant Conant