Learn to Live in the Gray

Today was a beautiful, sunny day! I encouraged my clients to get outside and enjoy it! I tried to do the same! I recommended my favorite strategy for getting outdoors when work doesn’t allow for it - pretend you left something in your car and take the long way through the parking lot! So, what does this have to do with living in the gray? Nothing actually, but this is how my thoughts often develop.

So today is Tuesday, it’s not the beginning of the week, nor is it the end. So what Tracey? Well, here’s my so what….. Too often when we set goals for ourselves, we live in a black or white mentality.

We did it or we didn’t.

My diet starts on Monday!

I’ll join the gym on January 1st.

I fell off today so I have to start all over.

I’ll wait til next week to try again.

This type of thinking can lead you down a rabbit hole. It’s a catalyst for complete failure and a why bother mentality. It creates a clear beginning and a clear ending when life rarely goes that way! Life is not linear, nor is weight loss, getting healthy, or achieving any goal for that matter! So instead of thinking of things in black and white, let’s add some gray!

Why can’t we commit to more steps every day and start on a Tuesday at 2pm?

Why can’t we decide our new water goal is 90 ounces and let that begin right now?

Why not decide to begin a new habit on the 17th of the month at 3:46pm?

Why start tomorrow? Why start on a Monday or the 1st of the month? Why wait?

We don’t always need a clear beginning or a clear ending. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, a black or white mentality. Learn to live in the gray! There’s so much happiness to be found in between success and failure, beginnings and endings! The gray is our journey, it’s the process, and it’s a beautiful thing! Fall in love with the process and the rest will come!