Baby Steppin'

by Leslie Aronson — May 5, 2008

Sometimes the idea of embarking on a healthier lifestyle can feel completely overwhelming. There are, depending on your current lifestyle, so many things to change--foods to avoid, exercises to do, wonder foods that you simply must eat, schedules to rearrange, compromises to make with friends or spouses, not to mention mustering the motivation and willpower to accomplish all these new and lofty goals. Part of the problem lies in trying to take on all of these changes at once. Although it's good to keep the big picture in mind--especially when trying to remind yourself just why, exactly, you're hauling yourself out of bed an hour earlier so you can get to the gym before work--it's also good (and less overwhelming) to remind yourself that baby steps are ok. You're not going to be a rock star on the treadmill the first time you get on. You're going to hurt, you're going to sweat, and chances are pretty good that you'll be disappointed the first couple of times because your performance won't live up to the expectations you've set. But cut yourself some slack--you're doing it. You're making the effort to change your lifestyle. And eventually, probably faster than you think, you'll start seeing progress. But until that time, remember to take baby steps. If you want to be able to run 5 miles, you're going to have to build up to it--run a little, then walk a little, then run some more. Disappointment (which often comes from unfulfilled expectations) can lead to quitting, and that's the last thing you want to do. You are capable of changing your life: just take it one step at a time.