Give or Get

With any change we make there is going to be a give and a get. If you decide to take up a morning walk - you are going to give up some free time in the morning but you will get more energy, more fit and a better circadian rhythm. It’s always a trade off!

Where we put our focus - the give or the get can really impact our success with any change. If we focus on what are giving up, it is often much harder to stay the course. For that morning walk maybe it means getting up a bit earlier and we give up a bit of sleep. When we bemoan getting up early that walk becomes a negative not the positive it could be!

The same can be said for any change in diet. I have dietary limitations - I don’t eat gluten and rarely dairy either. I can focus on not being able to have a ‘regular’ pizza or I can focus on how much better I feel consistently without these food items. i’m either considering myself deprived and that’s not a fun place to be or fortunate to have answers and solutions. That is a much better place to be!

Starting a new Pilates routine is the same give and get. Will you get some sore muscles? Probably! Will you get stronger, more comfortable in your skin and reap health benefits such as better sleep, less stress and better bone health - probably as well! It all depends on whether you look at it as a punishment or an opportunity!

The next time you are trying to make a change - make a list of what you are getting in return! Keep that list handy when the ‘give’ creeps in so you remember why you are making that change!