Tuesday, April 27, 2010

What happens when stuck...

I would have to say at the moment I am stuck. I have been on a really good kick as I've been training and dramatically changing my lifestyle. This adventure started in September of last year and really took flight when i decided to run a marathon. My life up to that point had been filled with lots of, if only and when this happens statements... but now it is filled with, I can and and I will statements.

I've seen my eating habits challenged and changed. My sitting habits challenged and changed. My walking habits challenged and changed. I have a want and that want is to be prepared for whatever lies ahead and part of that preparation lies in being as healthy physically as possible.
It is a challenge to make wise choices regularly. It is a challenge when new habits have been formed and they feel comfortable and regular, then I have a day where I give in to living in the old rather than the new.

I have seen such dramatic changes in my life over the past months. I have not only experienced body changes, habit changes, thought changes, I've also seen my views of certain things morph and change. (this I will write about at a later time.) But this past weekend and if I'm honest the last couple of weeks I have felt very challenged in my process. I have not wanted to make wise choices. I've wanted to eat foods that are not healthy and I've not wanted to exercise. I have continued to choose to be active as I have a goal I'm working towards, but I have felt motivationally stuck.

I think we all have moments where our motivation is lacking. In college one might be unmotivated to finish a paper, or perhaps one is trying to quit smoking, gossiping, swearing, spending or some other goal. When working towards a goal there are sweet days and then there are sweat days. I have been in the sweet days and currently I find myself in the sweat days.
The sweat days are the days where it all feels like work. But how do I choose to keep pressing on, when my desire is at about 0% and I'm just feeling stuck?

I've learned a few things are important when I'm feeling stuck. I thought I'd just share my list with you.
1. Remind myself of the goal
2. Tell people I'm stuck instead of being ashamed and fearful
3. Remind myself that I will not be stuck forever
4. Give myself grace
5. Take it one moment at a time
6. Don't calculate all my wrong choices, painting such a bleak picture that I can't dream myself out
7. Ask Jesus for help. Ask him to give me his perseverance and endurance
8. Ask friends to pray for me that I will grow in my endurance and that I'll make wise choices
9. Have a start over/clean slate day. (This I've decided is tomorrow.) I'm going to act as though I'm just getting started and live and learn as though I'm just at the beginning instead of the middle, with hopes that my perspective might change from drudgery to excitement.
10. Give myself a new goal to work towards. Basically I have the goal to run a marathon, but I've added the goal of doing a sprint triathlon. This will give me something new to think about while training. So even though it seems like I'm just adding on to my list, I'm actually keeping things fresh and the goals work together.
11. Don't go at it alone!
12. Find my cheerleaders
13. Say I need help
14. Keep moving forward one step at a time

This list can translate to any goal or change one is on the journey of reaching. It is part of life as we face the challenge before us. It is part of our walk with Jesus as we seek to abide in Him and live in our new self. Paul talks about this struggle in Romans 7, "that which I want to do I do not do, but that which I do not want to do, I find myself doing." There is a struggle to living into the new self in Jesus. This struggle manifests itself when ever we are seeking to make a positive life change that will honor him. It is in persevering through the struggle that we grow, change, and become.

So as I'm feeling stuck in my process, these are the things I do and think to get unstuck.

What do you do?

1 comment:

  1. I'm praying Cari!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So proud of you, girl. These are awesome goals!!!! Let me know what you need!

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