Starting Where You Are

Part of the Healthy Habits series

Starting Where You Are

Let’s talk about starting where you are…

Comparing your starting point with where someone else is often hampers you from doing the things needed to get started. It’s important to remember the very simple truth that you can only start where you are right now. So that fact alone means that right where you are is the perfect place to start new healthy habits.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19

Community is Better Than Comparing

It is so easy to compare ourselves to people who are (or seem to be) further ahead with their health goals than we are, especially now that we have a window into others’ seemingly perfect lives right at our fingertips 24 hours a day. We leave feeling less inspired and more defeated or inspired for the wrong reasons: jealousy, anger, wanting to look and be better than someone else, etc. It’s crucial to remember that everyone’s journey is unique, and social media often portrays an idealized version of reality.

I’d like to suggest another way of thinking about our wellness journeys: those people who are ahead of us are our resources, the people who are behind are the ones you can help guide, and the ones right there with us, those are our cohorts. All these people are our community joining us on our journeys to a healthy lifestyle. Having a community is so much more motivating than feeling like we’ll never catch up.

Right where you are is the perfect place to start new healthy habits.

Tips for starting where you are right now:

  • Being healthy isn’t always a choice, but making healthy choices is. Health is influenced by many factors, some of which are beyond our control. However, focusing on the healthy choices that are available to us can lead to positive changes.
  • Consider your starting point and start with one small step that will take you past that starting point. Your goals should be realistic but challenging.
  • Establishing a healthy lifestyle is more important than getting to your goal fast. The latter is less likely to be sustainable. Slow and steady wins the race and is also less overwhelming.
  • Identify your ‘why’—the personal, meaningful reasons behind your health goals. Intrinsic motivations, such as wanting to feel more energetic, live a longer, healthier life, or set a positive example for your family, are often more sustainable than extrinsic motivations like seeking approval from others or focusing on appearance-based goals. When you feel stuck, revisit your ‘why’ to help you stay focused and committed.
  • I like to focus on the positive, but it is important to remember there will always be naysayers, haters, and people who just don’t want the best for you. Acknowledge how they make you feel. Then, remind yourself of your ‘why’, and keep moving forward.
  • Find one or two people you can trust, and share your goal with them. It’s helpful to have someone who knows you, knows your goals, and will support and celebrate with you.
  • Find your community of support: people who can be resources, people you can help, and people who are right there in the weeds with you.
  • Check out my cheat sheet How to Start a Healthy Habit.

Try This: Take some time to develop your “why.” Consider your motivations. Are they extrinsic or intrinsic? Aim to make them more intrinsic.

Looking for a healthy habit to try?

A Healthy Breakfast may be the perfect place to start!

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