Commitment is Freedom!
“Commitment is freedom” - repeat it, ponder it…… what comes up for you?
Often we think of commitment as being tying and restrictive, of being dedicated to a specific cause without ‘wiggle room’. The Oxford Dictionary’s definition of commitment is “an engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action.” Commitment sounds like a pretty big deal and potentially scary word that can carry negative connotations such as feelings of fear: fear of failure, fear of being with the wrong person, fear of putting yourself out there, fear that something better might come along etc.. In short, we fear that making commitment restricts our freedom, preferring instead to keep our options open to other possibilities that may or may not present themselves.
But what about when we take the leap and commit to putting our roots down, to provide stability, grounded-ness and growth on our health journey? What happens when we commit to deepening our connection with ourselves?
The reality is, making the right commitments brings us MORE freedom to achieve our goals, not less of it, and here’s why….
To Commit or Not to Commit?
How can commitment lend itself to freedom? Here is a slightly different perspective of commitment:
“Commitment gives you freedom because you are no longer distracted by the unimportant and the frivolous. Commitment gives you freedom because it hones your attention and focus, directing them toward what is most efficient at making you healthy and happy.”
-Mark Manson
Manson is the author of the international mega-best-seller ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck’ and a series of self-help books that provide a seemingly counter-intuitive outlook on life. In a nutshell - it’s not about not caring, it’s about choosing WHAT to care about and WHAT to choose to let go of.
Reading this book was a ‘penny drop’ moment for me, in particular, Manson’s perspective around commitment (see above quote). It has been so liberating to think of commitment in terms of freedom! I hope this shift in perspective might be helpful, in terms of committing to intentional choices that align with your core health values.. If you want to be healthy, commit to being healthy - it really is that simple! Make the decision to commit to healthy positive choices that serve you, helping you to move towards your health goals and let go of the limiting-beliefs and habits that do not.
A Sustainable Process
The first key step in health coaching with my clients, is getting super clear on your specific health goals and your ‘WHY’. When we really narrow down on the ‘WHY’ behind your goals, that’s where the magic happens!
When you are looking to create sustainable LASTING habit change in your life, it is impossible to get there without knowing your ‘why.’ This ‘why’ goes beyond surface level desires such as weight loss, feeling less pain / discomfort or simply having more energy. Why is it important to lose the weight? why is it important to you to rethink your diet? what will it mean when you are no longer living with pain and discomfort? why do you want more energy? what happens if nothing changes? what will life look like if nothing changes a year from now? 5 years from now? 10 years? why are you willing and ready to commit to you, your body and your health at this time?
Then we are in a position to weed out all the un-necessary BS, excuses and unhelpful habits you may have got caught up in. Together we will start investigating the root cause of any ill-health symptoms so that we can treat the cause rather than merely mask the symptoms. I focus on a holistic approach where we look at all aspects of your life. This requires taking responsibility for where you are now in this moment, define the problem, gather the data and make a plan to get to where you want to be. This process requires commitment to the intentional lifestyle and nutrition changes you need to make, as these are the stepping stones to help you reach those big picture health goals.
If this sounds over-whelming or complicated, then working with a coach can help you to navigate the process, providing you withe guidance, support and accountability to succeed.
How to Create Positive and Sustainable Healthy Habits
Coaching focuses on positive habit change that is sustainable for the long-term, it’s not about quick-fix, short-term, temporary solutions. Building sustainable habits that you can realistically see yourself doing for the rest of your life are so important. These behaviours focus on long-term changes that empower you to create a positive, healthy lifestyle for yourself. Building sustainable habits helps you to transform your life into something manageable, healthy and enjoyable. You cannot change your lifestyle if you do not change your habits. This is the first step towards holistic lifestyle change, one positive habit has the potential to change your entire life!
When / if you slip back into old habits that do not serve you, treat yourself gently and with compassion, to nurture growth and help yourself to get back on track again, choosing progress over perfection. Keep reminding yourself ‘WHY’ you decided to move forwards. Stay positive and trust what is to come, by being consistent and committed to making the necessary change you desire. In doing so you are building self-trust and proving to yourself that you are capable. As you build momentum the small changes will gradually become habit that you naturally gravitate towards each day. The days become, weeks, weeks become months and months become years and healthy patterns will evolve and unfold for you.
Here are some intentional choices I found myself committing solidly to, they have become non-negotiable in my day / week / month:
🧘🏻♀️daily yoga practice
🍁walking the kids to & from school on dry days
🥕order weekly veg box
🍲 batch cooking mid-week
📃 weekly meal plans & shopping lists on a Sunday
🙅🏻♀️ saying 'no' to activities that drain my energy
🚵🏻♀️ getting fun & adventures with friends booked in the diary
Each one in itself is a small yet meaningful habit that I made a commitment to and the results have been amazing! Low and behold these things now just magically materialise! ✨ I can let go of valuable time spent thinking about them, wondering where I can squeeze them in (if at all!) and trust I will make them happen, without the looming dread of having to make yet another decision, or indecision about what exercise activity to choose or getting to the fridge only to find there're no ingredients to cook a healthy family dinner yada yada yada….
I believe these seemingly small commitments have created more freedom in my life. Freedom to release procrastination and the burden of decision making. Instead trusting in myself that by making intentional choices and committing to healthy habits results in getting sh*t done, make the nourishing meals I want to feed my family, build exercise into my routine everyday and plan in fun activities with friends & family.
When we get super clear on our health and lifestyle goals - when we commit to our intentional choices we create freedom to trust that we can reach for our goals one committed step at a time.
Do you struggle to commit to the choices you want to be making? What holds you back? I invite you to try breaking your goals down into smaller chunks, what one small change can you make this week and realistically commit to, to help you move toward that goal? Can you keep it up the following week? How does it feel getting to the end of one week? two weeks? one month? Slowly you will begin to build self-trust to commit to building new positive habits. This is so important to create those manageable stepping stones to reach those big picture health goals.
Who knows, you might find freedom in your commitment. 🙏🏻✨
Love, Sarah 🌱
