The 2 Lies Keeping You Stuck (and What to Do Instead)
Let’s be honest — we’ve all told ourselves these two lies at some point:
1️⃣ “I’ll start when life calms down.”
2️⃣ “I just need 30 days to get my sh*t together.”*
They sound totally reasonable, right? But the truth is, these two lies are exactly what keep us stuck replaying the same “I’ll start Monday” story, year after year.
We love to believe that there’s a magical point when life will finally slow down. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.
There’s always something, work deadlines, kids’ schedules, travel, family drama, you name it. If you’re waiting for the perfect moment to take care of yourself, you’ll be waiting forever.
And here’s what’s really going on: it’s perfectionism in disguise.
We tell ourselves we’ll start when things are “less crazy,” but what we’re really saying is, “I’ll start when I can do it perfectly.” We learned that from diet culture, that if everything isn’t lined up just right, there’s no point in trying.
But perfection is a moving target. It keeps you stuck.
The truth? You’ll never feel ready. You just have to start imperfectly.
Ah, the seductive pull of the 30-day fix.
We’ve all done it, a cleanse, a challenge, a sprint. You go all-in, white-knuckle your way through, and by day 31… you’re exhausted and right back where you started.
That’s not transformation, that’s survival.
Sustainable change doesn’t come from a 30-day burst. It comes from consistency, repetition, and trust learning that small, boring actions done over and over are what create real results.
As I tell my clients, “You can’t reprogram years of habits in a few weeks. But you can start rewriting them one day at a time.”
Years ago, I took a month-long trip to New Zealand and Australia. I would be completely out of my routine, no gym, no meal prep, no structure.
Old Kim would’ve panicked. But instead, I asked myself: “What are 3 simple things I can do to feel good no matter where I am?”
Here’s what I picked:
Sleep 7 hours a night
Walk 10,000 steps
Eat a salad with protein for lunch
Nothing fancy. No macro tracking. No guilt if it wasn’t perfect.
And you know what? It worked. Because I wasn’t trying to be that girl who does it all. I was just trying to be the girl who did what mattered most.
That’s when I realized: success isn’t built on overhauls. It’s built on non-negotiables.
If you want to make progress, stop waiting for calm or chasing 30-day sprints. Instead, choose 1–3 simple habits that work in your real life, the kind that are so doable, you can’t fail.
Think:
Going to bed at a consistent time
Drinking more water
Taking a 15-minute walk
Eating protein at every meal
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being consistent, even when it’s messy.
Because messy action beats perfect planning every single time.
You don’t need a new plan. You need a new approach.
Pick your 1–3 non-negotiables. Write them down. Do them daily. And watch what happens when you stop waiting for “someday” and start showing up today.
I’d love to hear yours — what are your 1–3 non-negotiables right now? Drop them in the comments or send me a DM and let’s celebrate your messy progress together.
Links
Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/fitgirlmagic
Free Resources: https://www.fitgirlmagic.com/freeresources_podcast
Website: http://www.kimbarnesjefferson.com
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