Hi there!
I hope you had a great weekend. I took a few days off away from the computer so that I could give my mind a little bit of a break, but now I’m back at it!
This weekend I got to surf for the first time. It was incredible…. Incredibly hard! They make it so easy on TV to pop up on a board and ride a wave.
This got me thinking about the process and experience of learning a new skill. I remember strapping my ankle to the board and carrying it to the water as I started to think… well, what are the rules of the ocean? What do I do when I get close to the sand? Am I really going to be able to pop up on this board and surf?
All of these questions in my head lead to a little bit of anxiety. The fear of failing in front of a bunch of people and looking like a fool. For a split second I was thinking to myself, “nah, I’m not gonna do this”. But then I got out on the water and failed. I failed hard! I could have quit, but there was something in me that wanted to ride the wave so bad. So I got back on the board and paddled out again, and failed. I failed over a dozen times. I took a break to get some dinner (pho noodles of course) and then a few hours later, back in the ocean!
This time, I was determined to ride a wave. After a few failed attempts at catching a wave, the moment came when a beautiful wave came my way. I turned around, paddled, popped up, and then I finally surfed…. For about 3 seconds and then I fell off. It was so amazing. By that time, the sun had gone down and I was shivering because the temperature dropped too. I decided to call it a day and went back to the shore.
3 seconds? I know, not too long, but it was the most amount of time I’ve ever spent on a surfboard. I’ll take that! Next time I go, it’ll be longer. I’m craving it now.
I wouldn’t necessarily call myself an organically “motivated person”. In fact, there are plenty of times when I don’t have the motivation to do anything. However, what gets me through tough and challenging things is identifying even the smallest improvements or changes. These little wins are called bright spots and they are super helpful to help you get back on that board. Success breeds motivation and that is the secret to getting things done.
So if you feel like you are lacking the motivation to work towards your health and fitness goals, just take a look back at the grand scheme of things. Identify one action/result that has gotten you closer to attaining them. That is all you need. Share them with me by replying to this message.
If you are having trouble trying to find a bright spot, come and talk with one of our coaches. We can help you find that one little piece that can get you back into the groove. We are here to help you succeed. You’ve already won, let us celebrate that with you.
Have a great week,
Ashley
