“Stop banging your head against a brick wall, hoping it is going to turn into a door”

This statement (thanks Coco Chanel) became a bit of a mantra for me as I thought about how I was going to change. I knew that I wanted to explore different ways of fitness, and a big “0” birthday coming up made me think “if not now, then when – if not you, then who”.

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Have you ever thought about change?

Sometimes change is a slow process of making small adjustments to your daily life, sometimes they are life changing and sometimes they require a bit of effort.

Change is often easier when there is a “reward” at the end of it – could be a better work life balance, more money, change of scenery, change of partner - or even a change in your body.

For me, it meant big changes, I took a pay cut, I gave up my job, and during this time, Covid also changed the way I worked and travelled, which helped me to have the time to sit and think. Creating an environment of change starts with you being responsible for it. Whilst a Fairy Godmother is kind of useful, they are in stories for a reason…you need to create your change. You need to be the one to take that first step.

First, see the vision of where you want to be – do you want to be more fit? More flexible? More calm? Write down the life that you imagine, write down the daily life and the big picture life. Now – how are we going to make the change?

Gather information – what did other people do? Who is there to help you? What kind of things do you need to put in place? For example, if you want to lose weight, then you need to plan how you will do this – are you ready to change the way that you eat? Do you plan to eat the same food but less of it? Do you plan to cut our sugar for example? If you want to get fitter – have you got the right equipment? Do you need to buy trainers? Weight? Join a club? Find a trainer?

Then, make the small steps – could be setting your alarm a little earlier to get your workout done, could be avoiding places that encourage overeating, could be taking time to sit still and think.

Remember that this is a journey, and you are human – everything you do is a choice, a choice made by you, for you – and so if you chose not to do the workout, not to change your diet, not to make time to relax – that doesn’t mean you have failed on your journey, it is just that your journey will take longer. Think of it like having road works or airport strikes or leaves on the line – they delay how long it take you, but you are still going. Positive self-talk and imagery is the thing to do – feeling a “failure” is a pointless exercise in self-destruction and to be avoided. Be your own cheerleader.

I hope that what ever you do to make the change is good - especially for you. I have my own changes coming for this year – and they are defiantly on my road of where I want to be. I am a bit nervous; I feel a bit worried that I might not be able to complete everything I want to do, but I am doing all of the things that I am encouraging you to do to.

Some of these include:- my first weight loss Café, a series of workshops for Fitness Professionals on the Menopause and health, and for people who want advice on how to improve their sport. I must start to write the book that has been in my head for years…and I would like to re-write my dissertation and see if I can get a paper published (yikes). So, I have set my goals – and if I can help you reach yours, then have a look at some of the sessions that I have planned for this year and join me. We can travel together xxx

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#makethechange #takethestep #livethelifeyouwant