Swimming Upstream

A couple of months ago, I told myself I would go to the pool for exercise once a week. I didn’t want to commit to more, and once a week seemed doable. I’ve been keeping that promise to myself, but this week, following through was a challenge.

The internal dialogue was distracting. I found myself trying to talk myself out of going, saying things like “you went last week” and “it’s not a big deal if you skip a week.”

To combat these thoughts, I took small actions. I told myself to just get to the gym and then see how I felt. Once there, I told myself to put on my bathing suit and then check in with myself.

Step-by-step, I walked myself through the workout routine until I fulfilled the promise I made to myself. I swam 20 laps, enjoyed some sauna time as a reward, and biked home proud of my progress.

By quieting the voice trying to sabotage my new habit, I could hear the voice that helped me take the next right action.

ACTION: Find a tiny action and take it. Whether it’s drinking a sip of water or the first step of a healthy walk in the neighborhood. Take a small step today.

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