Skip to main content

It's Okay to Say, "No."

I am preparing to take the Time Management course on the Half Size Me Community website and have been listening to Heather Robertson's podcasts since I began this journey. She mentioned in a previous episode that time management is one of the top 5 reasons (excuses) that people have not to get their journey started. She shares about goal setting and keeping your time and energy focused on achieving your goals. One thing that really hangs us up in time management is the inability to tell people, "No."


I have always struggled with this concept, not wanting to seem selfish or always feeling the need to explain myself if I did manage to say no. Whether it is to myself or others, it is a matter of self control that I know I need to have over my time. And, let's face it, self control is always a challenge.

On the heels of my successful lunch the other day in saying, "No," to the side dish with my sandwich, I realized that this is a very empowering journey toward self respect, along with positive body image.

I am working with a nutritionist to help me get my intake under control. She is also being super encouraging and working out with me a little bit. She came over yesterday and forgot the Beach Body DVD's we were going to try, but we found some 25 minute cardio videos on YouTube from Fitness Blender. It definitely kicked my butt, but when she said, "Hey, they have beginner videos you could go back and try!" I was ready to quit.

She later texted me to ask how I liked the workout, I wasn't sure how to respond. Finally, I said, "You know, it definitely kicked my butt, but I think I don't like straight cardio workouts. I would really like to try the Beach Body Dance workout videos. I feel like that would be easier for me to stick to, since dancing is something that I enjoy."

That was all I had to say! It was easy and I wasn't anxious about how she would respond! It didn't matter, because being dishonest with her would not help me achieve my goals, anyway. If she was offended by the fact that I didn't like straight cardio, it wouldn't even make sense! "Yeah, Whatever you like... try the dance videos, as long as you're raising your heart rate and out of  breath you are working!"

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

So Much to Take On

There is an unspoken pressure in our society to have it all together and know how we want to contribute to the world. Here's a little secret: nobody has it all together and and it's actually quite challenging to know what you want out of life and how that life is going to contribute to the rest of the world. When did all the things  become something more than simple? Two of my favorite books that I plan to go back to this Fall are Grace Not Perfection and The Simplified Life  by Emily Ley. She breaks down what it is to truly make room in your life and home for the most important things. The funny part is, those things  aren't "things" at all, they are people. People, family, friends, relationships... those are the most important things  in life. So, when my work, my menu, my workout schedule, my chore list all get in the way of my kids, my husband, my family time, my fellowship at church, my friends... That is a problem.  When I was a kid and people a...

Goals, Expectations, and Hitting Refresh

These past few weeks have been difficult to get on a plan and to be self-controlled. I ha ve found myself over-indulging with food, slacking in my work, and losing focus on my goals. Then I realized this week that it is because I have too many of them; which actually translates, "I have no goals at all." Have you ever sat down, made a to-do list, stared at it with overwhelming stress and anxiety, promptly set the list aside and then did nothing? Well, that's what having too may goals is. My focus is scattered, I cannot see progress in anything, I am frustrated by the sinking feeling of defeat and then I simply give up. Earlier this week, I realized the foundation of my problem and hit the reset button. After sitting down and spending some cleansing time in prayer and Bible reading, I made the most cleansing decision I have practiced in weeks: I deleted everything from my Google calendar. As I clicked, "Are you sure you want to delete this calendar, this action c...

Dealing With Stress

Emotional eating is a definite struggle of mine. That feels kind of obvious to me, as if it is clearly a problem or else we would not be here, right? Anyway, recognizing it has been an imperative part of my journey. Stress bingeing has not been as much of an issue since I started, but when I dwell on the desire to binge, I have begun to recognize that something stressful is causing anxiety or frustration. It would be so easy for me to close my tracking app and head for the kitchen. Then I consider the journey that I have been on over the last six months. It has been so encouraging to see my progress. I know that there is no perfection to be attained and that I will (have) slipped up from time to time, but I also know that my choices will affect my mindset. Today, I chose not to thaw a box of chocolate chip cookies after pre-tracking my entire day. I chose to eat my evening snack before dinner after a cup of green grapes and will be content to have my tea on its own this evening. ...