Don’t Let Every Slip Become A Slide  

Have you ever set your mind to do something and as soon as it does not go perfectly, you give up completely? I am certainly guilty of this! I used to do it with exercise and eating on a regular basis. I would have a plan for what I was going to do for exercise for the week, however, when it did not go according to plan on Monday or Tuesday, I would give up completely for the remainder of the week. Instead of trying to follow through with my plan for the remaining days, I would tell myself that I would try again the following Monday. Over time, this created the habit of not following through with what I said I was going to do. My slips turned into slides over and over. 

I have done this with eating as well. I would make a plan to eat healthy for the week, however, if I did not eat what I had planned for breakfast or lunch, I would give up on the entire day. Many of my coaching clients struggle with this as well. This pattern of behavior can impact so many areas of our lives. Whether trying to get up earlier, putting in more effort at work to try to get a promotion, scaling a business, nurturing a relationship, or practicing self-care, it can be easy to let a slip become a slide.

This is the result of a faulty mindset which involves a thought distortion. We tell ourselves that if we are not 100% in or doing something 100% perfectly, then we mind as well not do it at all. Especially if the thing we are trying to do challenges us in any way or makes us uncomfortable, our brains will encourage us to give up in an effort to protect us from experiencing uncomfortable feelings. As you likely know, however, we experience increased frustration, guilt, shame, or hopelessness when we keep quitting on ourselves.

On the surface, this way of thinking seems illogical. Logically I know that if I eat poorly for lunch, I can make it better or worse based on what I decide to eat for dinner. Despite this, it becomes very easy for me to tell myself that one additional unhealthy meal will not make a difference since I already “ruined it” for the day. Can you relate to this? This our brain’s way of rationalizing so that we stay in our comfort zone. If eating unhealthy is what you are used to, your brain will try to keep you doing what is familiar and comfortable, rather than experiencing the potential hunger or cravings that can be associated with changing eating patterns.

The good news is that I have figured out some strategies to combat this so that a “slip” remains a “slip” and does not turn into a “slide”. I am going to share them with you below but before that, click HERE to download my PDF Guide, Don’t Let Every Slip Become A Slide. This guide will help you walk through the strategies outlined below so that you can break free from this thinking pattern once and for all!

1. Write down your goal. Saying a goal in your head and writing it down on paper are two very different things. When you tell yourself you are going to do something without writing it down, it can make it very easy, and likely, that you will make “adjustments” along the way. When you write it down on paper, it becomes much clearer when you try to make adjustments to it because it starts to feel challenging or uncomfortable. Be as specific as possible.

2. Write down WHY you want to achieve this goal. Be detailed about why this is something that is important to you.

3. Write down what challenges could get in your way and cause you to slip. Brainstorm anything and everything you can think of that may cause you to not follow through with taking consistent action to achieve your goal. In addition to including external factors, be sure to include mindset challenges and all the ways you could try to talk yourself out of working on your goal.

4. Make a list of all the steps you can take to combat these challenges. Be very specific about what you will do and not do in order to avoid slipping and sliding.

5. Be realistic…there may be a slip. If you are trying to do something new or challenging, there could be a slip. This is actually quite normal. But remember, the key is to not have a slip turn into a slide. When you notice a slip, acknowledge it. Once you acknowledge it, what do you need to tell yourself, and what do you need to do to get back on track?

The goal is to disrupt your behavior pattern of stopping and starting. A slip is not a stop…it is just a slip. When you can own it and regroup quickly, you will start to undo your behavior pattern, even if it has been in place for a long time. It can be very liberating to know that when you decide to do something, that you actually do it even when it is challenging.

Regardless of the specific goal, you will build a mindset where you keep your promises to yourself, where you keep going when things get hard, and where you regroup quickly when things go off track. This can be life changing once you master it. I will be here cheering you on!!! Remember to get the PDF Guide, Don’t Let Every Slip Become a Slide HERE so that you get the most out of this process.