Are You An All Or Nothing Type of Person?

Lately, a lot of my yoga students and my health coaching clients have been struggling with the idea of all or nothing. Whether we are talking about yoga practice or a goal or habit that is trying to be established, many of us struggle with the idea that we have to do it all at once or why try since we have already failed. 

This type of thinking couldn’t be further from the truth. 

I see this constantly. If a student can’t spend an hour and a half doing their whole yoga practice then they just won’t do it at all. Similarly, if a client can’t stick to a new habit 100% then they won’t bother with the new habit. 

For example, this morning I was talking to a student who showed up later than he had wanted to. He mentioned that he had been having trouble showing up for class because he just wasn’t feeling energetic enough to do his whole practice. He knew it always made him feel better but he just couldn’t pull himself onto his mat. 

I suggested that he just show up and do some practice. Something is always better than nothing, especially when you know it will make you feel better.

The best way to get past the all or nothing thought process is to take action, to just start.  Every little bit of what we do in this world counts. If you roll out your yoga mat and practice for 15 minutes then you practiced. If you decide you want to exercise more and you get up from your desk and walk around the building or house for 15 minutes you are successful on building the new habit. 

We are so hard on ourselves. We often strive for perfection at all costs whether we realize it or not. One of the best pieces of advice I have ever heard is to just “begin again.”  This means that no matter what happened today, this week, or this month, you can choose to hit the reset button and start over. The best part is your don’t have to wait until tomorrow! You can start again right now. 

If you missed your morning yoga practice but you have time to roll out your mat for 20 minutes in the middle of the day then just do it. If you have been trying to eat healthier but you overindulged; all is not lost. Don’t get bogged down in what has already happened. Let that moment go and focus on the one at hand. Begin again. 

All new habits have to start somewhere. Sometimes you need to restart the same habit over and over until it connects.  Life is never a straight line of progress; it is up and down, sideways, and backwards. The lessons we learn throughout our lives help to make us stronger and more resilient. 

Are you an all or nothing person who is ready to take some action to change? This is exactly what I help my clients with. Click on the button below to connect and let’s get you back on track!