2021-02-05 To Be a Winner, Start

You know you can.

You know you have what it takes to smash it out of the park — lose weight, get ripped, run a marathon, save money, start a business, launch yourself creatively.

BUT you’re not quite ready. You’ve got too much going on. The world’s crazy, uncertain. You just don’t have the head space to focus on your goals.

Be compassionate — but don’t baby yourself.

Self-compassion is important in tough times but there’s always a fine line between treating yourself with kindness and letting yourself hide under the covers while the world, and everyone else, moves on. Practice compassion — speak to yourself as you would a good friend — but don’t use baby talk. Be firm when you need to, and disciplined when you have to. Rest is important but don’t let difficult times force you into chronic inaction because it will make you feel worse.

Don’t tell yourself goal setting is futile

It’s easy during tough times to slip into “what’s the point?” mode. To avoid making plans or setting goals because 2020 gave you a harsh lesson on what can happen to the best laid plans. But not everything is beyond your control: you can still work on your health, your projects, clean your house/room, read, learn new things.

Set some goals, however small, and create routines that will help you take tiny daily steps towards them. Having routines will anchor you during tough times (actually, during any times) and taking action will drag your mind into a better space — even if it’s protesting.