What's Your Plan?

It happened last night around 2:00 in the morning. Or at least I think that's when it was. When 2:00 turned to 3:00 and then back to 2:00? Or maybe it was 1:00 that turned to 2:00....

Either way, Daylight Savings happened today. Also it's gray and pouring down rain up here in Maine which makes the impending darkness feel even darker. It also means that for those of us in the Northeast especially, darkness will set in as soon as the first football games are ending today.

Early darkness is difficult for many of us even when there isn't a pandemic going on. But right now, with anxiety about the U.S. election AND Covid cases going in the wrong direction, we all need to be as proactive as possible about our self-care.

1. Make Your Exercise Plan Doable

The number one question I ask all my clients is this - what is it going to take to make exercise doable for you? When setting exercise goals, we all want to work out five times per week (ok, want might be over-stating it for some…). Be honest with yourself about what feels doable right now. A walk? Awesome. 15 minutes of stretching? Great. A 30 minute workout routine? (Reach out if you want one.) The hardest part of doing anything is getting started. Make it as easy as possible to get yourself started.

Also, be flexible with yourself about what “counts” as exercise. People have ideas in mind about what they believe qualifies as exercise. Walking doesn’t “count,” 20 minutes on a stationary bike doesn’t “count,” stretching doesn’t “count.”

I’ve got news for you:

Everything counts. All of it. Are some types of exercise more beneficial than others? Yes. Does the CDC recommend at least 75 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week? Yes. Is a little bit of something better than a lot of nothing? Yes.

Can you keep going and do more once you get started?

YES! (ALL OF THE SHOUTING HERE BECAUSE YES)

So take a look at your life as it is right now, here, today.

2. Make a plan

I’m not much of a planner. I’m more of what is called a pantzer. I do things by the seat of my pants and I like it that way. But most people use some type of schedule and if that’s you, then exercise needs to be on that schedule. Look at your week right now. Pull out your schedule. What days of the week can you work it in? What time of day? For how long? What will you do on that particular day?

Put it on your calendar - Monday morning at 7:00 am walk, Wednesday morning 5:00 pm ride the stationary bike, Friday at 7:00 am yoga. Be specific. The more decisions you make now, the less decisions you’ll have to make in the moment when you feel tired and overwhelmed.

3. Find some gentle accountability

Sometimes as a coach, people avoid me. I get it. I reach out to see how things are going and seeing my name immediately reminds them of everything that they are NOT doing. It’s an interesting place for me because I just want to know how I can help and they’re just feeling ashamed for coming up short, yet again (see section on making a plan that feels doable).

That’s why I say “gentle accountability.” You need someone who is going to be compassionate in your interactions together. We bring enough shame to ourselves. We need someone who can help to hold us accountable to our actions and support us in our goals. It’s too hard to be accountable to yourself. Recruit your network and use it.

4. Start now

As Dan Pink writes about in his book “When,” we like to start things at natural beginnings. The first of the month, the first of the year, and Monday’s - we like fresh starts. Today marks the first day of the early darkness. Get in those new habits right now. Start today, start tomorrow, but make sure you start this week.

If you need some help, let me know.