1110: Maybe you're not doing it wrong!

Around here, we expect things to be so hard all the time, and when it isn't, we immediately start wondering what we're doing wrong. Well, today I'm sharing a recent realisation I've had, that's been quite a game changer! 

Episode transcript:

Good morning, Daily Pepper, and a very happy Monday to you. So I have recently, as of last week, started going to the gym. Now, I had a huge amount of resistance to doing it. As somebody who's very much neglected her body her entire life and feels like a walking brain now, I have taken my own advice I often give you around here, which is how to make it easier. And for today's daily pep, I just wanted to share a bit of that journey and a reminder that I think both of us need to hear. So I did so much research, as I know a lot of us do before starting. I figured that the best way to set myself up for success, to take away as many barriers as possible and to try not to give myself yet another stick to beat myself with. So I landed on strength training, and I landed on a program that wouldn't leave me completely out of breath and soaked with sweat and something I could just get in the rhythm of doing.

And last week, I noticed something really interesting. Number one, my research paid off because it really was quite easy. And I got there thinking, okay, this is doable. This isn't actually that hard. But the more interesting thing happens with number two. Number two, I gave myself a really hard time because it felt easy, which there is so much irony in that, because the whole point was it was supposed to be fucking easy. To the point that I decided I was going to finish each workout with quite a gruelling five minutes on the row machine. Now, there was a large part of me that found that satisfying in that it felt like I was doing the hard work.

But as the days went on, I realized that it was actually more punishment than it was helpful. It was almost like I was trying to tell myself, well, things can't be easy. If they're easy, it means you're not working hard enough, so work yourself harder, damn it. And I had fallen back into very familiar old patterns. So I share this today as a reminder, both for myself and for you, that just because something isn't as hard as you thought it would be, doesn't mean you're doing it wrong. For so many of us, we just simply expect everything to be really fucking hard all the time. And when it isn't, rather than thinking, holy shit, that's a nice surprise, we instead internalize it and try and figure out what we're doing wrong or what we're missing. So my question for you today is, when it comes to things that you thought would be hard but actually feel easier, what if you're not missing anything? What if you're doing it in a way that honours yourself.

What if you found a more aligned way of doing things? And what if you're operating from your zone of genius instead? So that is my food for thought for today. And let's try it on size this Monday. What if Mondays didn't have to be so hard? What if it could be easier? What would you do differently? I'll see you tomorrow.

Episode transcript automatically produced by Castmagic.io

ABOUT THE DAILY PEP!

New episodes air every Monday - Friday 6AM GMT

A short, snappy and sassy daily podcast to keep your internal - and external - dreamshitters at bay!

The Daily Pep! is the rebel-rousing, daily podcast for couragemakers, creative, multi-passionate and unconventional women. If you’re surrounded by people who don’t get who you are or what you do, if you want reminders you’re on the right path (no matter how scary it feels), or you’re sick of being your very own worst enemy, this is the podcast for you.

Every weekday, your host - writer, coach and professional rebel-rouser - Meg Kissack helps you build a creative and wholehearted life, one day at a time. Through short and snappy insights, reminders and stories, The Daily Pep! is here to remind you you’re not alone, and that everything changes when you believe you matter. Each episode is short and snappy, designed to fit in with (or help you start) your habits and routines.

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