6 Month Fitness Project

No Criticizing Yourself

Along about now, if you've started with the Day 1 post, you may be saying unkind things to yourself about your tendencies to keep on doing what you were doing before you began this project. If you have been, stop. Don't criticize or shame yourself, don't be demanding or harsh with you, be kind. This is not an easy thing to do, to change one's habits, to learn new ones.

It looks like it should be easy, but if it were, you'd probably not be here.

This is a long project, six months worth, for a reason--as I've probably stated before. It's long because that's the kindest, most ecological, and sure way to get where you want to go. You want to become fit, not just for a short time, you want to become fit from now on.

I've been surprised at how difficult it has been for me to make simple changes, like doing floor exercises, exercising early in the day, going to bed earlier. Those changes should be easy, I think, but they just slide through the cracks, day after day.

If you're finding it difficult to do what you've decided is the best way to start the project, then, please cut yourself unlimited slack.

And, if you've done what so many people do, set out to do too much, to make too many or too big changes in the beginning of the project, then please reduce your objectives, for now, down to what may seem to be ridiculously easy. Success creates more success. Reduce what you're attempting to the point where you can succeed almost every day without stress or strain. Then, and only then, build on that success, with small additions, one at a time.

Mariel Hemingway, in her book Healthy Living From The Inside Out, asks readers about to begin the 30 Day Quickstart Program in the book to send themselves an email message, filling in the blanks, that says:

I, __________________ agree to be kind to myself through the four weeks of following these suggestions. I agree to put myself first. To treat myself with the compassion and patience I would treat a close friend. To drop the harsh criticism I put on myself when I look in the mirror or eat something bad or am not perfect at everything I do. For four weeks I, ____________________ agree to act like I am my own best friend. If I catch myself thinking mean thoughts about myself, I pledge to ask myself, "Would I say that to my best friend?"

You may want to send yourself that email message, and make it for six months rather than four weeks.

And/or you could copy and paste it into a text document, print it out, and place it where you can see it often during your six months long fitness project, and beyond.

About The Project

As with my Winter Makeover Project, I'm inviting readers to join me in a personal project. This one is about getting fit, my own, and your own preferred way. This blog will contain postings by me, and maybe guest authors too, about getting fit, and particularly about how I'm doing getting fit in this six month long project.

I'm inviting readers to join me by posting comments regularly about their discoveries and progress in their own six month fitness projects. Please share with all of us what you're doing, how you're doing it, what you're learning, and your successes along the way.

I hope you will also subscribe to the project's email discussion list. It functions as a daily opportunity to  to share progress and intention.  To subscribe, click on the  Yahoo Groups Icon below or in the sidebar of this page.

Click to join fitnessproject

Whenever you're joining us, just keep on going for six months from now. You may want to begin with the first post (this one) and move upward from there.

Pat Gundry