Do it for you

Have you ever tried to do something before and it didn’t go well? Getting in shape. Drinking less. Reading more. There are many reasons we might fail in these goals. Maybe it was too difficult. Maybe life was too chaotic to be consistent. Oftentimes, if this is the case, we can carry a sense of shame and failure with us. 

I’ve been there. I remember multiple times where I tried to go to the gym and get in better shape only to be inconsistent and eventually too busy to make any changes. I felt like a failure. 

As I got into my late 30’s I found myself wanting to try again only to fear that I would, once again, fail to make any meaningful changes. My internal voice reminded me of past failures. External voices questioned whether it was worth the money for a gym membership if I probably wasn’t going to use it after a month. My wife, while hesitant about the finances, said, “You can! But only do it if YOU want to.” 

Looking back, these were some powerful words backed by her consistent support. Yes, I had failed in the past, but it didn’t matter if I really wanted to change. 

Over the course of time I have found that taking the pressure of performance off of myself has allowed me to be more consistent and even came to realize that I really enjoy going to the gym. It has become my “happy place,” a place where I get to live in my own head rather than trying to manage all the worries of life.  Being healthy is important, but I needed to do it for myself.  

If you are trying to make a change in your life, make sure you are doing it for yourself. Maybe, like me, you have failed in the past. Maybe you were pressured to do something that you weren’t really excited about. Whatever changes you are trying to make in your life, mental, emotional, physical, relational, make sure you are doing it because YOU are the motivation behind it. 

You might enjoy the changes, and better yet, you might even learn to enjoy the process!