Getting Started

Getting started often feels like the hardest part of any journey, like standing at the base of a gigantic mountain thinking, “There is no way in heck I can ever make it to the top!” I’ve been there too and I feel you, but you, my friend, were born to climb!

I’m going to share my three tips you need to know as you start your climb, whatever mountain you’re on. 

Changing the Language

  • Let’s remove the drama. Getting started doesn’t have to be an epic event, a Monday, a start of a new year, or the beginning of the month. It can be THIS moment, right now, that you decide to get started.

  • Maybe “getting started” isn’t even the right way to think about it. Our health journeys have no beginning and no end. As long as we are alive, we are on the journey. Perhaps a better way to think about it is to “get going” or to simply pick back up wherever you left off.

  • Stop waiting to be motivated to begin. I hate to break it to you but you may never be motivated. And the truth? Motivation often comes AFTER taking the action, not before.

  • If you find yourself thinking, “I’m just not ready yet,” I want to let you know that you may NEVER feel ready. I wasn’t ready to start this podcast. I wasn’t ready to run a half marathon. I didn’t know what I was doing or how to do it perfectly, but here I am taking imperfect action forward. And guess what? Every time I show up and hit record, I’m more ready than the last time.

  • The way you get ready is to get going and learn while doing along the way. The way to get ready is to get started. 

Climbing: The Story of the Fog

  • Getting started on my health journey reminds me of how it feels to stand at the base of the mountains in my town. It can feel intimidating to look up at the top, feeling like there is so far to go, especially with the early morning fog hiding the pathway to get there.

  • But the thing about the fog is that with every step forward, you can see at least one step ahead of you. And then the next one, and the next one. And really, that’s all you need, just to see where the next foot is going to land, what the next baby step forward is going to be.

  • We don’t need to focus on the mountain or how far and challenging the journey ahead may be, we just need to focus on the next baby step in front of us. It is the baby steps, not leaps and bounds, that can climb the highest mountains.

3 Tips for How to Climb:

  • TIP #1: Keep it simple, start small, be realistic.

    • What are you doing today? You can’t go from sitting on the couch to running a marathon overnight. So, let’s simplify so we don’t burn out. What does the next step look like for you from where you’re standing? How can you simplify it into one action step that you can take each day?

    • It’s not about overhauling everything at once. Signing up for a new workout program, reading that new self-help book, taking that digital course, cutting out sugar and happiness. NO, you won’t stay with it. Keep it SIMPLE.

    • What is ONE thing you can do today to get you one step closer to your goals?

    • Maybe it’s an extra glass of water. Maybe it’s a 10-minute walk around the block. Maybe it’s jotting down 5 things you’re grateful for each day. Maybe it’s writing one page a day for your book.

  • TIP #2: Take it slow, the power is in the baby steps.

    • I think a lot of us get disappointed with our lack of quick progress and give up. We drastically overestimate what we can accomplish in a week, and underestimate what we can accomplish in a year.

    • You don’t climb a mountain with big leaps and bounds, you climb a mountain with baby steps. And hey, you might even make a pit stop along the way and that’s okay!

    • If you saved $25/week for a month, congrats, you have enough money to buy a Keurig coffee machine. But if you save $25/week for a year, you have over $1300, and you can afford a flight to Europe.

    • If you walk one mile a day for a week, you might not notice much of a difference in your fitness. But if you walk a mile a day for a year, you will be bettering your health in a way you’ll likely notice. 

  • TIP #3: Stay steady, consistent habits make all the difference.

    • When you keep it simple and take it slow, it’s much easier to remain steady. Burnout is a real thing and it has us giving up shortly after we’ve begun. The secret isn’t to go balls to the wall right from the get-go but to show up and take small steps forward consistently over the long haul.

    • Consistency is what creates habit, and habits are what create you. You are a result of what you do habitually every day. So if you want to change your life, you have to change your habits. If you want to change your habits, you’ve got to stay steady. We’ll talk much more about habits in future episodes to come so stay tuned. 

So, to recap:

  • Stop overthinking it, the way to get ready is to get started.

  • Motivation often comes AFTER action.

  • 3 Tips for getting started on your Climb:

    • Keep it SIMPLE.

    • Take it SLOW.

    • Stay STEADY.

So, what now?

What can you take away from this episode to get started, or get going, with your journey today?

  • TAKE ACTION, small, simple, slow, steady action.

  • My challenge for you is to pick ONE thing, one action that will support you in the pursuit of your goals to start practicing today with consistency.

    • Do ONE BIT, and DON’T QUIT.

    • By the way, not if but WHEN you miss a day, keep in mind that’s just part of the process, no need to beat yourself up for imperfection. Just stand up and keep going.

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Podcast, Motivation, MindsetKiah Twisselmangetting started, podcast, motivationComment