Fit tips on Getting Un-Stuck In A Rut

Deborah Brooks, CSCS

I hear from many people that they want to change their lifestyle, that they’re ready to change their lifestyle, but they don’t know how to change their lifestyle. They feel stuck in a rut and don’t know where to begin to get out of the mental space that defines their daily routine and stops them from making choices for living a healthier life. When I dig a little deeper and start asking questions most of the time I hear the same story; a list of “why not” instead of “why can” that clients believe to be the truth about themselves.

What’s up? As we age we get comfortable with our life patterns, whether we like them or not. We get attached to them like that ratty old sweater and worn out pair of boots in our closet that should have been tossed out long ago. We hold onto the old clothes even though the sweater no longer keeps us warm and the boots no longer keep us dry in the rain. They’re familiar. We like familiar. We hold onto our life patterns even though they no longer serve us for the good of our health and well being. They give us a place to belong, a group to be in, a definition to live by. They’re familiar. We like familiar. Unfortunately, these patterns can start to own us and rule us with an iron hand.

Here are some of the beliefs that I have heard.

-I’m a night owl. I could never get up early to work out.

-I don’t eat breakfast. I’m not hungry in the morning.

-I don’t drink water. I’m never thirsty.

-I’ve never been flexible. I can’t do yoga.

-I have no upper body strength. I will never be able to do a push-up.

– I hardly eat and I can’t lose weight. I have a slow/bad metabolism.

-I’ll never be thin. Being overweight runs in my family.

-I have no willpower. I can’t say not to ice cream, chips, cookies, et al!

Do any of these life patterns resonate? If yes, do you believe that they are “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?” Would you take an oath of allegiance swearing that this was who you are and could never be changed?

Make a list of the beliefs that somewhere along the way became your reality. Keep it handy so that you can add to it as you begin to find all of those “ratty old sweaters and worn out boots” that have been taking up space in the closet of your mind. Make the decision to start tossing them out. Give up what you thought was true for you. You will start to feel lighter and more freed up when you own your thoughts instead of your thoughts owning you.

Don’t worry about replacing the wardrobe just yet. Enjoy this moment of being unattached to anything. You may feel uncomfortable not being able to live within the rules you set for yourself many years ago. Your mind will want to wander back to its comfort zone and convince you this is who you are so why bother trying to change. Don’t give in to the temptation. Stay with the discomfort. Wrestle with your demons. This is where self-discovery happens.

When you’re ready, throw out an old sweater and buy a new one. In other words, take one item on the list and make the conscious decision to think the opposite is the truth about you. If we are capable of convincing ourselves that negative patterns are true then we are equally as capable of thinking that positive patterns are true.

For example, let’s take “I don’t eat breakfast. I’m not hungry in the morning.” Throw that out! Now buy “I always eat a healthy breakfast, I’m starving in the morning.” Tell yourself this over and over again. I guarantee you that one morning you ARE going to wake up starving, fix yourself a healthy meal and start your day nourished instead of depleted.

Be excited to see that there are new possibilities for yourself where you thought none existed. This is the key to transformation. Once you see that you can change one old story about yourself you will want to change a lot of the old stories about yourself.

There’s nothing like a new wardrobe!