Let’s use “horse” as an analogy for whatever new behavior you are trying to integrate into your life.
Every time we try a new “horse” our gremlins get their knickers in a twist. They HATE letting us outside our comfort zones. So when we try something new and we fall off the horse, our gremlins grasp the opportunity to kick us while we’re down. And sometime’s that’s just enough to keep us from climbing back on the horse. So I am here to reassure you.
Get back on the damn horse!
It builds confidence and it lets the gremlins know you’re serious about eating healthy, or drinking less, or whatever your particular horse is right now. It’s OK to fall off the horse! If you’re a human being, then it’s positively NORMAL to fall off the horse during the holidays. Most of us revert to practiced behaviors over new ones in times of stress, and there seems to be plenty of perceived stress around finances and family gatherings at the end of the year.
It’s OK. But don’t let one slip (or a series of them) keep you off the horse! Our gremlins tell us that we failed because this path was not meant for us, or that we are doomed to fail no matter what, so “why bother?”
But if it’s something you want, and maybe have been wanting for awhile, then get back on the horse!
Ask yourself why you fell. What triggered you to fall off the horse? What tools might help when that trigger arises in the future? It’s going to come up again, so what can you choose to do differently next time?
And maybe we stay on the horse a while, and then we get thrown again. What can we do then?
Get back on the damn horse.
Research horseback riding. Get a riding coach. Read books about how others succeeded in riding this particular horse. But don’t give up, and don’t listen to the gremlins when they tell you to stay down, never mind, and just forget about it. Because you deserve to have it and you are capable of creating it!
Christmas visits with family, and holiday celebrations are going to kick a lot of peoples’ well-laid plans in the dirt. It’s OK. You’ve GOT this!