Yesterday my husband and I went to brunch at this badass local diner in Austin that’s open 24 hours and serves gluten-free pancakes and french toast and vegan cheese sauce (which is a dream for a gluten-free, mostly dairy-free person like me). We were sitting outside the restaurant, waiting for our table to be ready. It was a gorgeous Texas fall day–there was a slight breeze and the temperature was 77 degrees.
I was people-watching while we waited, and I couldn’t help but notice that most people were wearing jeans. Without even thinking, I said, “I can’t wait ’til I can wear jeans again.”
My hubs looked at me and said, “you are wearing jeans.” I looked down and saw that yes, I, too, was wearing jeans. But they’re the only jeans I ever wear, because they’re the only jeans I own that fit me.
Now, to be clear, I own a lot of jeans and they all do still fit me as in I can put them on and they’re not too small for me. But they don’t fit me how I’d like them to fit (loose on the stomach and waist). So anytime I wear them I end up taking them off soon after and putting on leggings or sweatpants instead because it’s more comfortable.
I’ve had to do battle lately with the fact that I’m not in the shape I once was. And even though I’m still doing better than a lot of people my age and many people would kill to be as small as I am, I’m still not happy with my body or how my clothes fit me right now.
I want more. And I know I can have it. So I refuse to settle or to accept my body as it is currently. I’m actively working on making the changes I need to make to have the body I dream of having.
But when I said that to my hubs, he said something that really put it into persepctive. He said, “your jeans will fit if you just keep doing what you’re doing.”
And even though what he said was so freaking obvious, ’cause I mean, DUH! If I just keep doing what I’m doing–eating better, going to the gym–eventually I’ll have the body I desire. Yet it never really occurred to me.
But it’s true. Regardless of the outcome you’re going after, whether it’s a better body or to finish writing your novel, if you keep taking action, you will get there.
The results will show up if you just keep going.
This is something we need to remind ourselves about from time-to-time, because it’s easy to look around at your current reality, at the results you don’t currently have, and worry that it’s never gonna happen.
Even though I know that I’ve been eating better and going to the gym or working out at home 5-6 days a week, I still on occasion look at my jeans drawer or the shirts I don’t feel comfortable wearing right now, and worry that they’ll never again fit me the way I want them to.
But it’s pretty ridiculous to waste time and energy worrying about the results not showing up when you know for a fact you’re actually doing the work.
Now, on the other hand, if you’re not doing the work or if you know that you’re not fully showing up for yourself in the area that you’d like to see improve–your writing, your fitness, whatever–then that’s when you should worry about not getting the results. Although worrying is still kind of a waste because if you’re not doing the work, of course you’re not gonna get the results. That’s pretty obvious, so no sense worrying about it.
But if you know that you’re doing what it takes, then you have nothing to worry about. Ever. Just keep doing what you’re doing. The results you desire will soon be yours.
Dream life or bust,
jen
