The Advice I Wish Someone Had Told Me 10 Years Ago…

We’ve heard the saying “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.” I never had a strong tie to this quote, I’ve never really dwelled on what I had in the past, it seemed like I would always adapt to what was next, maybe forgetting how good the past had been, maybe I was just too excited about the future? Either way I like the Joni Mitchell song, but that’s about it.

What I’ve noticed in my own life is that “You don’t know how good you can feel until you experience it.” It may not be as catchy as Joni’s song, but it is packed with a lot of truth- like you don’t know what you don’t know! Did you know how limber you could feel before you went to your first hot yoga class? Did you know how fluid you could feel before you first great chiropractic adjustment? Maybe you never knew how energetic you could feel before you started eating cleaner!

As many of you know, I started my post-college career as an accountant grinding out long hours. As with a lot of my clients, I got used to this lifestyle of waking up tired, snoozing my alarm until the last possible second before getting up and giving in to the idea that I have to head to work, coming home unfulfilled and zoning out in front of the TV for a couple hours before going to bed and starting it all over again the next day. Was this it?!

Part of human survival is to adapt and get used to our surroundings and conditions, and that’s exactly what I did. I took this sluggish lifestyle as a normal part of adult life. You save all your fun and satisfaction for Friday & Saturday nights and spend Sunday trying to recover and get a week’s worth of errands done before your workweek begins again on Monday!   A lot has changed and I’m wiser now!

NOW I know that we actually don’t have to feel sluggish during the workday (and the answer isn’t in a 5 hour energy bottle). I switched my food choices, simple as that. Instead of frozen Lean Cuisine’s I brought my own meals, instead of an Einstein bagel for breakfast I made a protein smoothie, and instead of Panera for dinner I had my own fridge stocked and ready to go so making dinner was a cinch. My head was clear, my work products was better, and I was more fun around my friends…win, win, win!

So what was holding me back? Why was I so hesitant to break out of this monotonous routine? The benefits of these small changes were so much more than the work that went into making them. I had a new routine; I still joined my tax group for 3:00 coffee trips, but didn’t get anything because I didn’t need it! I had more energy after work so I got to do things I enjoyed, I was no longer too tired for a 7:30pm jog, and because of this I no longer felt like I was living for the weekends. I felt more in-control, which resulted in more confidence and a happier me!

So the next time you catch yourself thinking “this must be it” or “this is as good as it gets” push yourself! Don’t settle; don’t accept that Monday mornings have to be groggy or that you should be tired after a commute and long workday. With the right fuel, you can change your life! Social Psychologist Amy Cuddy puts it best: “Our bodies change our minds and our minds change our behavior and our behavior changes our outcomes.” Tiny tweaks can lead to big changes, so embrace the power that you have in upgrading your life!

What did you learn the hard way? What change has had the biggest impact on your health? Let us know in the comments below!

If you are looking for inspiration on what might need changing in your life, check out the Done with Diets summit! You can still register for the ENCORE replay period and get access to EVERY expert interview (and did we mention the free gifts?!)- signup at www.donewithdietssummit.com !

Live your WHOLE life,

Shannon + Meg