Do Something. Do Anything

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Sometimes I struggle with what to talk about in my emails. After spending the morning and afternoon training at the gym, I went and for a walk on the treadmill, worrying the whole time about the article I was going to write for today.

I didn’t have the time or the mental capacity to put together a post that would be up to my normal standards and because of that I started getting down on myself. 

After sitting down at my computer with no good thoughts in my mind, I put off starting a new draft for as long as humanly possible (though you could call scaling through TiKTok research).

I asked myself: if you can’t do something 100%, what’s the point of doing it at all?

And then I decided: Just get started and see how far you get.

Do Something. Do Anything. Just Get Started.

When it comes to leveling up your life, doing something is almost always better than nothing.

The hardest part of getting healthy is making the first move:

  • taking the first step out the door for a walk

  • chopping up the first ingredient for a Big Ass Salad

  • saying no to the doughnut at work

  • waking up earlier than normal on that first morning

Or in my case today, the hardest part about writing an article is putting down the first few words on the screen.  However, if you can get past that first step, your body knows what its supposed to do and momentum can carry you through the rest of the steps.

This first step is even more crucial if you’re JUST getting started for the first time. If you’re overweight, out of shape, and having a rough time with life…the thought of exercising on a daily basis probably scares the crap out of you.  If you’ve never walked a mile, a marathon seems like some fantasy distance that only imaginary people run. 

Don’t freak out! Keep your composure! After all, something is better than nothing.

  • If you don’t have time for your full workout – do some of it.

  • If you can’t do a push up - do it at the wall.

  • If you can’t run a full mile, walk it.

  • If you’re headed on a vacation where there’s only bad food, do the best you can to eat healthy for at least one meal.

Why Something Is Better than Nothing

I know what you’re thinking: “this just seems like a lot of barely trying.”

You’re not barely trying if you can’t do something all the way for a legitimate reason: weather, unexpected work project, your kid gets sick, flight delay, whatever. Life happens and life doesn’t always go according to plan.

In these instances, I will always advocate something over nothing for a multitude of reasons:

We are creatures of habit. Every day, we make decisions that either take us one step closer or one step further away from our goals.  When trying to get in shape, establishing good habits and positive reinforcement is instrumental in having long-term success.  If you tell yourself that it’s okay to “skip just this one workout,” the next time you have a conflict it’ll be a little bit easier to “I’ll skip just this one too.”  However, if you can drag yourself out the door for a workout even when you don’t want to, it’ll be easier to convince yourself “hey I did it last time, I can do it this time too.”

WHO CARES if you don’t have time for the whole workout? Something is better for you than nothing. Usually once you get going you’ll immediately feel better plus you’re also planting a “I’m getting healthy” thought at the front of your mind for the rest of the day, which will positively influence every other decision you make.

Small changes add up to big transformations. Fitness can start as simple as just going for a walk.  Nothing crazy, just a simple walk.  Each day after that, walk a little bit further and further, while getting faster and more confident.

Take things one small change at a time, one day at a time, and  focus on putting one foot in front of the other. You can figure the rest out as you go.

How to do Something

This is the easiest part to explain and the hardest part to implement: you have to rip of the bandaid and start somewhere.

Do anything.

We all have crappy situations and circumstances that we’re dealing with in our lives and these things will only be your downfall if you let them. 

If you really want to start living better, just take a small step. Go for a walk even though it’s cold outside, ask for the help of a professional - Anything is better than nothing.