Honestly, friends, last month got the best of me and I wasn't feeling 100 percent like myself. Between a few frantically busy weekends plus a bunch of appointments during the week, I failed to squeeze everything in and slowly started drifting away from my resolution to not be so late to every social engagement I make. I ended up apologizing left and right for a lot of things that were ultimately out of my control, which is perhaps why this post resonated with me as we move into this new month: Quote via Tumblr. I, along with probably a lot of other people out there, am notoriously guilty of apologizing for literally everything. "Apologies for the delayed response." "So sorry that I missed your text during my workout." "I'm terribly remorseful that I accidentally bumped your arm in the grocery store when we both reached for the same pepper." If I turn a corner too sharply only to find someone on the other side, my sincerest apologies follow. Go for the same dumbbell as someone else in class? Sorry. Accidentally pick up the coffee I paid for, but you mistakenly also reach for thinking it is yours? No, no, no, I'm terribly sorry. Mispronounce my name? Sorry, my fault, but it's actually Uh-lee-see-ah, as in Silverstone, not Keys. That's not to say that some instances obviously warrant an apology, especially if in turning that aforementioned corner too sharply I legitimately knock into you and knock you over. In such an instance, I genuinely am very sorry. I love the idea of turning these constant apologies into something positive, though, especially when it comes to healthy eating and exercise. Instead of saying to yourself, "Sorry that I can't keep up an aggressive speed in my rowing class," replace it with "Thanks, self, for bringing us to rowing in the first place. Let's try to work on our form during this hour of class." Rather than beating yourself up and apologizing to yourself for eating that entire chocolate bunny, thank yourself for recognizing the decision as one that shouldn't happen all the time and promise to work toward making better decisions tomorrow. When a coworker questions your decision to skip out on the sheet cake sitting in the break room for Cheryl's birthday, skip the apology and respond with a cordial, "Thank you for offering and including me in the celebration, but I have a delicious quinoa salad that I'm just dying to eat for lunch today, instead." By cutting yourself some slack, those "off" days will just be a blip on the radar, rather than an all-consuming anxiety that stays with you for days or weeks, subtly impacting your progress and effort along the way. This March, work on accepting that you don't need to apologize or make excuses for going after your goals or choosing health. Thank you. Spark: Step by Step, Day by DayWhether you're new to SparkPeople or you've been with us for years, you're likely familiar with our stance on healthy lifetime habits over temporary fixes. If not, we're for the former, and advise against the latter. Daily habits, though, can be difficult to break, especially when you've been doing them for years or even decades. The key to finding success is evaluating how you got to where you are now, this place where you are ready to lose weight, and then making changes accordingly. So much of that evaluation lies in our daily routines. Consider for a second how many things you do out of habit due to an unhealthy overall lifestyle, or those activities that you avoid making time for due to mental- or stress-related barricades. Maybe you're the type of person who rewards every daily milestone with sweets. Perhaps you find yourself regularly making excuses for skipping workouts. It might be that you're a serial salty snacker, or you can't turn down bingeing three hours of television before bed even if it means you miss out on sleep and wake up feeling unmotivated. Daily habits are built slowly over time, and changing one thing each week or month is the foundation upon which we build healthy lives. Evaluating those various daily habits that may be impeding your progress is as simple as recognizing the pattern, understanding the circumstances surrounding it and making a conscious plan for adjusting it accordingly with targeted action. For the serial salty snacker, for example, try replacing your afternoon bag of Lay's chips with a handful of almonds and some grapes. You'll still get to indulge that salty tooth, but that one healthy choice will lead to another and then another over time. The same goes for a food-based reward system. Many food choices especially are made out of boredom or routine, so intentionally committing to choose foods or rewards based on hunger and your overall health goals every day is one way to slowly build up to a new, healthier snacking habit. Consider the power of adding daily activity, as well. Look back to the aforementioned examples: Without exercise as a regular habit, it can be too easy to talk ourselves out of going to the gym or getting out for that walk. Start looking at your inactivity as a detriment to your health and consider signing up for a walking group or joining a gym class where you pay if you don't attend. By committing to showing up, you jumpstart a new routine and you might find you start to truly enjoy your daily sweat. Netflix binges are fun and all, but adding a nighttime ritual that encourages a good night's rest will result in a morning where you skip the snooze and take on the day with refreshed determination. Or perhaps you take the advice of one Instagram commenter who said she added quality family time to her daily routine, which can serve as both a reminder of how important good health is to those we love most, as well as a stress-relieving break in the day. She shares: "I've benefitted most from the 10-minute morning hug session with my daughter each morning." Keep this advice in mind any time you feel like you might be letting life get in the way of your goals. Big or small, some self-reflection and a tweak in your daily habits is something we can all benefit from every now and again. Make a commitment to set your intentions on a day-to-day basis, no matter if you're just getting started or if you've been at it for a while. Those small daily changes and choices add up to a huge gain in the long run and that long run will be here before you know it. Sweat: Play Like a GirlJust in time for Women's History Month, espnW put out this hyper-empowering, all-girl-power-all-the-time short film aimed at inspiring all women no matter their age nor body type to play hard, play strong and play for themselves. Let the words, "I am not worried about getting too big or too strong or too fast or too full of myself," push you to set a new PR, go that extra 100 yards on your run, power through those last two burpees or pull a set of heavier weights off the rack for your shoulder presses this month. Are you marching into March full of optimism and determination? Every month The Go Get It Guide is your destination for motivation, musings on random goals and probably pop culture references. It's a space where we'll sort through the PR pitches and news, then share our honest thoughts on what's happening in the health and fitness world, what's on the horizon and just what we think of that video the internet obsessed over last week. Check in each month to Spark, Sweat, Smile, Savor and Shop with us!
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