We always say the upcoming year is going to be so awesome, but then it just seems to fly by….and was probably mediocre if we’re being honest. We get caught up in the mundane tasks and don’t see as much self-improvement as we’d like. We set resolutions with a fiery determination and then by February couldn’t even tell you what was on that piece of paper.
If you want 2019 to actually be different, these 5 tips are FIRE.
1. Learn to say NO when it isn’t a HECK YES!
Our time is truly our most precious asset, and too many people want to take our time away from us, even well-meaning friends who just want to spend time with us. But the fact is we just cannot say yes to everything- we don’t have enough energy or time in the day. When we overextend ourselves, it can mentally exhaust us and overwhelm us. I also think it’s important to mention that you shouldn’t feel guilty when you have to decline an invitation. When you can get to a point where you’re only doing things you love doing and that energize you and light you up (aside from things you just REALLY can’t get out of…maybe like teacher conferences or dentist appointments?), you’re going to fill so energized and inspired, and everything that you DO say yes to and accomplish will be 10x anything that you’ve attempted in the past.
2. Have a plan and stick to it!
This sounds kind of ‘duh’ but consistency is what I’ve seen my clients struggle with the most! When we lose motivation- and that happens to every single one of us!- we need to rely on our plans to ground us and to keep us going. If you don’t have a solid plan, it’s easy to skip a workout, eat a couple extra Little Debbie cakes (those were always my favorite growing up), and fall out of alignment with the goals you’ve been working towards. I really like taking some time on Sundays to look ahead and my week coming up and that way, I know exactly when I’ll need to have meals prepped for the day, when to plan workouts, and when I’m going to have some free time for my son. If you need help creating a workout plan, you can work with me one on one, or join my winter challenge, starting January 7th. Details here- Winter Challenge
3. Find your tribe!
Having a group of girls that you can connect with is invaluable. Since most of my local, real life friends aren’t big into fitness like I am, I got to a point early in my postpartum stage when I felt so disconnected with my fitness side and really struggled in this area of my life. Over time, I’ve been able to meet women, mostly online, that have gone through the same mom-related struggles I’ve faced over the last 2.5 years and I can’t tell you how much it has helped. When you find your tribe or community, your girls can help keep your accountable on your fitness/health journey, relate to issues you’re struggling with, and push you past your limits. If you haven’t found your tribe yet, I’d love for you to check out my FB group (totally free) called ‘The Fit Girl Flock.’ I’ll admit, it’s still small, but my hope is that it will grow into a tight-knit group of girls who love connecting with one another and can offer support that goes well beyond what I can offer myself! If you want to check it out, I would love that! www.facebook.com/groups/fitgirlflock
4. Find the Unfollow button!
That’s right, I said unfollow. If you spend time scrolling instagram or facebook, you know what I’m talking about. I am totally guilty of getting sucked in to scrolling through instagram or watching endless stories. I love it, don’t get me wrong, but one thing I’ve learned to make myself do is to unfollow any accounts that make me feel bad. Don’t spend one minute on anything, or anyone who you don’t enjoy or makes you feel bad about yourself. Whether it is someone you just don’t click with or don’t agree with a majority of their content….or if they’re someone famous (or insta-famous) and they give you feelings of jealous or unworthiness. There’s nothing wrong with unfollowing someone who doesn’t make you feel good about yourself! If you’re on facebook and don’t totally want to unfriend someone, you can actually unfollow them there or ‘snooze’ them so you don’t have to see their content. Let’s spend 100% (or pretty dang close!) of our time exposing ourselves to things that make us happy and inspired!
5. Self-compassion will always be better than self-criticism
You’re never going to find happiness by being mean to yourself. You’re never going to develop a good relationship with food through guilt or deprivation. One of my favorite things to work on with clients is developing good relationships with themselves and food. It NEVER pays off to shame yourself, guilt yourself, or punish yourself. While I preach things like clean eating, plans and routines, I also want to be VERY clear how important self-compassion is!! We all mess up sometimes, but when you can forgive yourself and move on, it makes life so much more enjoyable than punishing yourself for having a “cheat meal.” If you think this is something you need a little extra help on, email me erinshepherdfit@gmail.com or fill out the coaching application HERE and I’d love to spend some time talking with you.
I know these tips can really help you bring your BEST in 2019! Which one do you think will help you most? Let me know!
Erin Shepherd Fitness 