To Women Over 40 Who Want To Beat Life Challenges But Can't Get Started

How are you dealing with life challenges that you are faced with’ We have to dive into this topic I felt that this was a conversation that we had to have, especially because of last year. If 2020 taught us anything, it taught us sometimes life comes at us fast and there are things are cannot control, despite everything being lined up. And let’s face it, we all want life to be sunshine and freaking rainbows, but it just is not going to be like that all the time. Challenges aren’t fun, but they do teach us a whole lot about ourselves and how to handle situations!

Challenges help us to build perspective. They teach you how to appreciate the gifts and blessings we are given! Because without the lows, how can we compare where we come from’ So, I want you to start thinking about how far you have come from who you used to be in the past. Those challenges help you to become stronger because you are going to confront a problem and solve it, and THEN BOUNCE BACK!

I challenge you to recognize that there are certain things that always seem to trip us up. What exactly are they’ When you are going for a goal what are the things that TRIP YOU UP” Let’s pre-think about options and work on If – then thinking.
—– If I am unable to work out on Monday, I will work out on Sunday. If I am unable to work out on Wednesday, then I will work out on Saturday.

Let’s take a look at mindset as well. A mindset shift has to happen. Look at the 4 pillars of weight loss. It is not just about counting calories and doing a workout It is also about your mindset. Every challenge that you face is an opportunity for you to learn.

Challenges can help us build up our emotional reserves so when you face obstacles, you can tap into this well of resources. When you hit obstacles, you know what you need to do to push yourself up the hill! You know what resources you can tap into to get yourself out of this place.

I want to take a minute in between talking about challenges to talk about rest. You could look at this as a challenge because of your negative self-talk by saying you are giving up just because you are resting and then you fall off the wagon. But RESTING doesn’t mean you are giving up. If you need to rest sometimes, that is ok!! Rona has taught me so well, that I don’t always have to be busy. And prior to Rona I was always busy, and everything scheduled. Then the world stopped, it caused me the ask myself why am I always running around’ It caused me to be more reflective, get into the quiet and helped me see things clearly!

Challenges help us to extend out our comfort zone! Challenges force you to do and try new things! Things that you don’t want to do, but know you need to move on or get to another point in life. This forces you to think in new ways you thought didn’t exist before! When you step out of your comfort zone it forces you to accept your problems and decide how you are going to face them and builds you a resilience tank!

Guys, I want you to overcome anything that comes your way. Enjoy that challenge and make it easier. DEAL WITH IT! The only way to deal with a challenge is to actually deal with it! The more we ignore it, it will then grow. So, deal with it while you can! What do you have to work with to deal with these challenges and work through them’ Whatever is in your reach, deal with it!

The biggest challenge I hear from people is that they feel like failures. They have tried all of these things and they say they don’t make it and don’t last on all these diets.
Okay, so what was that failure’ How do you take that failure and turn it into a lesson’
Work from the REPS formula. What is realistic’ Were you excited’ Can you make a plan for it in your life’ Was it sustainable’ If any of those 4 things weren’t in play, then of course you are going to fail They all have to be aligned.

We need to recognize that change is inevitable. You can’t escape it and you can’t always control it. You have to roll with the punches and be able to push away the fearful thoughts of when you can’t control it!

I want you to think about why you don’t have the motivation to take action. Why do you keep procrastinating on something, because when we analyze the source of the problem, then we can start to devise a plan to see how things get made’ Also, stop and see what success looks like for you. The more we can define success, the more we get excited about it and start to plan around that!!

What are the traits to help you out in this process of finding motivation and take action’

1. Clarity – Get clear on what it is you are trying to accomplish
2. Courage– I have to know that I can bounce back from my setbacks and obstacles. Think the resilience tank.
3. Creative – Live in the present moment and stop worrying about what happened 2 years, 2 months 2 hours ago. Because that helps reduce the stress so you can deal with the challenge right in front of you today.
4. Get Curious– Ask yourself so many questions. Seek information that will help overcome the obstacles
5. Calm The place it took me to get to this place. Take that breath, balance out my emotions, and try not to come from an emotional place with things.
6. Resilience – I believe that things are going to work out. I have what it takes to overcome that situation.

Sometimes I get stuck in these endless loops, as I know many of you do too. And when I do, I always come back to this poem. It’s called Autobiography in Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson. The first time I heard it, I knew that I had to hear it over and over again. Part of it goes on to say, I walked down the street, there’s a deep hole in the sidewalk, I fall in, I’m lost, I am hopeless, it isn’t my fault, it will take forever to find a way out. Then It goes on to talk about this hole and all the various things about this hole…
This is exactly what being stuck in a loop is like. We follow the same program over and over again and expect different things, but we fall into the same damn hole!

Have the courage to BREAK FREE and have stronger habits that will create better routines. Those routines will lead to that consistency and that consistency will lead to your results!!!

This is how we face our challenges. And we start to build that grit, that exemplifies a character so that you know that you can overcome any of life’s challenges!!!

LINKS
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FabFitSquad
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fitgirlmagic/
Website: https://kimbarnesjefferson.com/
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fit-girl-magic-healthy-living-for-women-over-40/id1476883661