This picture perfectly depicts how life was going 6 years ago. We were in the midst of finishing the inside of our house, while also trying to celebrate and embrace the Christmas season. It was tough…really tough! It had been a long, hard road to get to this point of the build (just being on our farm!), so we were completely exhausted and ready to celebrate and enjoy what we had been working so hard for…but we had to keep plugging away so we could move out of our camper (which we had been living in for most of the year) and into the main house. Staying joyous in a tough season of life isn’t for the faint of heart.
When I look back at that first Christmas in our little farmhouse, tears fill my eyes…even while writing this. Despite all the stress, all the hard work, late nights, it is by far one of THE BEST Christmas seasons I have experienced so far. As I was thinking about this time in my life, it also reminded me about the importance of finding time to celebrate, even when we are in the midst of “fixing”.
Fixing
What is it about a project, a goal, a plan…”fixing things”…that has us putting everything else in life on hold until it’s complete?!? So often I hear things like this…
“Once we get the bathroom remodel done, I am going to focus on my meal planning.”
“I want to get down 20 pounds and then I am going to buy some new clothes.”
“I think I should wait to go out to dinner with my friends until I figure out my eating goals.”
“I don’t want to have any treats at Christmas this year because I am working on my weight loss.” or this one….
“Maybe we should skip putting up the Christmas tree until the floors are done…”
Ok, that last one was me…6 years ago. Today, I am so glad that we didn’t put celebrating on hold…not even for a bit of time. As I mentioned above, it was hard to be joyous when we were so consumed in the project. Thinking about where to put a Christmas tree, what kind of decorations could withstand paint drips, sawdust, and grout was a chore in itself!
When it comes to working with clients on their health goals, I can understand the struggles and suffering they are experiencing. They just want to feel better, balance the hormones, lose the weight, poop! Get back to living. But here’s the thing…the living part…that needs to keep on going. Even during the fixing process.
Celebrating
The celebrating part is what makes the fixing part motivating. It can be your WHY, the reason you are on the journey. What do I mean by this? Well, one of my clients wanted to wait to go on a weekend getaway until she lost some weight. But when we first met, her motivation for change was to travel and spend more time with her family. After talking things through a bit, she decided she needed to go on that weekend getaway. We came up with a plan to help her stay on track with her eating, water, and sleep goals as best she could. Then, off she went!
Our session when she returned was incredible. Those few days away reminded her of what she was working towards. It was also a celebration of how far she had come on her journey! She was able to stick with the habits she had been working so hard at the weeks prior! She realized she could make this work!
Another client had done so many strict diets in the past, she felt as though she shouldn’t enjoy any treats at celebrations or special events. This lead her to not wanting to go to things like birthdays, holidays… No one had ever talked to her about balance, or finding ways she could still celebrate….LIVE.
I remember our first session after she hosted a friends get together. She was in tears…happy ones! She shared that she was disappointed she had missed out on so many celebrations, but realized that she really could find balance to enjoy them now. She didn’t have to just focus on the “fixing” part of her journey!
Make time to live!
Ok, I am sure by now, you get where I am going with all of this. No matter what is going on in your life…whether it is working on health goals, building a house, and everything in between…it is so VERY important to take the time to celebrate and enjoy life….put up that Christmas tree!
My best to you, in whatever season of life you are in!
Stephanie