Don’t wait. Change now.

Get out of your comfort zone. Wake up and move differently. Create awareness. Be mindful. Live fully. Seize the moment. Grow. Get up and go for it. New Year, New You…

Yep, it’s still January alright, and as the nearest cardio room would indicate, we, as a general society, are rededicating ourselves to, well, ourselves.

It’s awesome. I love seeing the yoga studio packed with students doing 30 day challenges. I think it’s fantastic that gym memberships are spiking and I totally support my friends doing a no-sugar January.

People are trying to find a new normal, create new habits, build better selves.

For now, that’s happening. But what about come February? Super Bowl Sunday? Dia de Godiva chocolate and red wine? A long weekend snuggled up in a cabin in the snow?

What happens when life challenges our intentions?

We compromise, negotiate and usually, we fall right off the (delusional) train we rode in on. We get knocked down, not because it’s too hard, but because we stepped so far out to the right that we simply could not maintain balance any longer.

That’s good, it’s how we learn. The problem is, not all of us get back up on that. . . treadmill. Sometimes we just stay off out of fear of further injury.

How to avoid that classic pitfall? Set yourself up for success. Reset your equillibrium. Learn how to find a happy, and sustainable, medium.

Balancing Act: A How To

1. Ask for your (Reality) Check.

Take a quick look at your current reality. Pull your head out (of the sand, silly…). What’s going down in your world, right now? How do you feel about that?

2. Get grounded: What do you want? When do you want it? 

What do you know to be real, and true and good about yourself and your world? Consider: a) where you are, b) where you’d like to be, and c) what’s standing in the space in between those two places.

3. Gather Your Resources and Prepare to Engage.

What’s your ETA? What props would you like to to use to arrive in a timely fashion? What do you already have on hand to help you get there? What could you rid yourself of? What would be helpful for you to do, go or get? Pick up the phone, open up your browser, hit send on an e-mail and just ask for it.

4. Sound the Battle Cry and Move It.

Take positive action, now. You will never make progress without action. Do something, anything, that propels you even one centimeter closer to your destination. If you are not willing to risk falling, then you are not ready to grow. Do it. Do it now.

5. Now Flow.

Move gracefully and with care. Don’t be the bull in the china shop, be a dancer. Breathe. Do one thing  at a time. Notice your surroundings. Be present, but keep moving. Two steps forward, one step back. Cha, cha, cha-cha-cha.

6. Check for Understanding (and Authenticity).

At the end of your day, and before you say “yes” to anything else, check in with yourself. Do your actions match your intentions? Does the opportunity come with wings, or a chain? Are you holding too much, or not enough?

7. Pat Yourself (And a Friend) On the Back.

Prefer a Namaste instead? Go for it. Positive thoughts and intentions generate positive results. Acknowledge what you have done, the progress you have made, the problems you solved, the new space you’ve created. Focus on growth to expand. See good to create great. Give validation to receive love.

8. Just Keep Swimming.

You’ll get there if you just going. Ride the current every now and then as it assists you, but stay out of dark caves and stop following bright shiny lights. Choose focused movement, regardless of the pace.

9. Keep It Tight and Light.

Three things help in balancing poses—driste (your gaze), a tight core and a strong foundation. Well, the same thing applies here. Keep looking ahead, hold true to who you are, and build up your support.

We cannot balance for long on just our big toes; if you fall—and you will—shake it off, feel your feet planted firmly on the ground, press down to lift up, and then rise tall again.

Love elephant and want to go steady?

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Author: Michelle Sweezey

Editor: Emily Bartran

Photo: MilitaryHealth/Flickr