Summer Lessons Before Autumn Arrives; Part Two

WHAT ARE YOU READY TO LEAVE BEHIND?

As the seasons begin to change, there’s often a temptation to focus on what we should be doing.

Exercise more.

Eat better.

Be more organised.

Get back into a routine.

But before we start adding things to the list, perhaps there’s another question worth asking.

What are you ready to leave behind?

We all carry things that no longer serve us.

Sometimes they’re habits.

Sometimes they’re expectations.

Sometimes they’re stories we’ve been telling ourselves for years.

One thing I see regularly is all-or-nothing thinking.

You miss a week of exercise and suddenly convince yourself you’ve fallen off the wagon.

You have a busy month and decide you’ll start again when life settles down.

The problem is that life rarely settles down.

There will always be holidays, family commitments, work pressures and unexpected challenges.

The people who maintain healthy habits aren’t necessarily the most motivated. 

They’re often the ones who’ve let go of the idea that everything has to be perfect.

Perhaps this summer has shown you that consistency looks different than you thought it did.

Perhaps you’ve realised that a short walk is better than doing nothing.

Perhaps you’ve discovered that resting when you’re tired isn’t being lazy.

Maybe it’s comparison you’re ready to leave behind.

It’s easy to look at other people’s lives and assume they’re doing better than we are.

But comparison rarely tells the whole story.

The reality is that we’re all navigating our own challenges, responsibilities and circumstances.

Your well being journey should fit your life, not someone else’s.

As autumn approaches, think about what feels heavy.

What expectation are you carrying that no longer helps?

What pressure could you let go of?

What would feel lighter if you stopped trying to be perfect?

Sometimes moving forward isn’t about doing more.

Sometimes it’s about releasing what has been holding us back.

I worry about am I doing things right, am I there enough for my children and then the mum guilt steps in.

At work I question if I’m delivering what people want and again if I’m giving enough.

This needs to change.

We can only do what we can do.

Sam ‘no more self-doubt’ Hobbs