2020 was, well let’s just call a spade a spade and say, pretty crazy, awful, frustrating. Really any of those words work. I am going to go out on a limb and say you have probably not been loving yourself either.
Love Yourself: Motivation Myths
You will see a lot of “influencers” tell you that “it’s all going to be O.K.!” – which it is, but it may not feel like it in the moment and that is alright too. The truth about motivation is that it is not always going to be there. It is not going to always be something you can fall back on to help get you up out of bed in the morning. Motivation will stoke a fire under your rear, that may have been growing a little during the pandemic and not in the way of the peach emoji, but it doesn’t just appear. You need to have a goal or a plan to achieve! That is when you start being motivated. However, it will not last for the entire time you are trying to reach a goal. There will be bad days – and sometimes more than you would like… but I want to give you the tools to love yourself and be your own biggest fan!
Step One: Love Yourself – Goal Set
Loving yourself is a crucial part in goal setting! Making sure that your goals are S.M.A.R.T is critical in helping you achieve them. S.M.A.R.T is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. Sometimes you will make goals that no one around you believes that you can achieve. Show them you can, and prove them wrong. Loving yourself enough to give yourself a fighting chance!
Your goals are unique to you. We all have that one person who we go to for everything and that is our “ride or die”. Tell that person your goals. If they are really your “ride or die” they will be behind you 100 percent. Now before you flood my inbox with “my friend won’t buy my product or hire me or yadda yadda”, listen… just because someone doesn’t buy from you, does not mean they don’t support your mission and goals. Loving yourself is sharing your goals with your tribe.
For example, my family has not hired me to be their personal trainer, yet they still support me and encourage me. My best friend shares information that I post on my socials, and comment and interact with my content to help it be seen. These are all things that support you, even without putting dollars in my bank account. Support is hardly ever monetary.
Step Two: Stop Comparing
Everyone has a highlight reel they show you their lives through some sort of filter. You have to stop comparing yourself to anyone else. You were not made to be like anyone else. The name Life Stride Fitness came from me finally realizing that no two strides of life were the same for anyone!
The comparison game is a dangerous game, and you and I play it at some point in time. The only person that you and I should be comparing ourselves to, is the person we were yesterday. Instead of comparing yourself to someone else, go back to your goals and see what you can do to start loving yourself and be your own cheering squad.
What if instead of looking in the mirror and judging yourself on what you think are the faults you have, you started being thankful for at least one thing that you do have. Maybe that one thing is that you have awakened to see another beautiful day. It is smart to start small and build your hype over time. If you start too high all at one time, your hype fuse might burn up too quickly.
Step Three: Gratitude
If you saw my post this month on starting a gratitude journal, you will see that I also mentioned I am not great at this. I struggle with writing in my planner let alone a journal. Maybe you can relate. However, loving yourself includes having gratitude for yourself and what you have achieved. It is not being vain. It is not like you are looking in the mirror every chance that you get and hearing the lyrics “I’m too sexy” in your head, and if you are, why are you here… this is clearly not something you are struggling with right now.
Being thankful is HUGE for loving yourself. It shows a vulnerable side, which you may be uncomfortable with, but will only benefit you. Some days will be easier than others. Some days you will have to really dig deep to find maybe one thing that you are thankful for. However small your list is, it is still a list of things you are thankful and have gratitude for.
Final Step: Grace
Man is this one deep for me. If you have followed me recently, you know that this is a MAJOR struggle for myself. Grace is in abundance for my clients, my family, my friends… but when it comes to myself, I am lacking big time.
Loving yourself includes giving yourself grace. Knowing that everyday you are not going to be this hyped up version of yourself. Some days may still be a big struggle. Can I tell you a secret… that is NORMAL! You are human… Have grace for yourself, start loving yourself and knowing that bad days will still come. There will be days when you want to just pull the covers back over your head and pretend you don’t exist… but those days will pass if you look back on this and remember that you are human.
Last Thoughts: Vibe Music
One last thing to remember is that music will always help you out. Simply having a mini dance party can increase your mood and your hype and allow you to love yourself, even if it is just for a moment.
Here are some songs that hype me up:
- No One – Alicia Keys
- Love Myself – Olivia O’Brien (Explicit)
- Get This Party Started – Pink (and really anything by pink)
- Sit Still, Look Pretty – Daya
- Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton
- Kings & Queens – Ava Max
- You can also look to spotify or pandora for Hype Music 2021 (please note I did not make any playlist that might be linked – so listen at your own risk!)
Feel free to add some of your favorites in the comments – I always love to add to my hype playlist.
Also know that sometimes things get so deep that seeking professional help is the best option. There is NOTHING WRONG with getting professional help for anything that you are feeling. I am not a therapist, but I know that speaking to one has been a great tool for many of my clients.
XOXO Trainer Meggs