Just Let It Be Enough.
Sober curious, veggie curious, and exercise curious? Agency > Pressure. Also: a comic!
What if you went on a run today?
Or a walk?
Or you gently stretched out your neck and shoulder muscles?
What if you turned on music and danced?
What if you found a workout video on YouTube, maybe something you’ve never tried before?
What if you rolled out your yoga mat and laid down on it?
What if you got those weights out from wherever they’re buried in your closed and noticed how they feel in your hands?
What if you went swimming today?
And then what if you let that be enough?
No turning it into a routine, no feeling guilty for not doing it again tomorrow, no shame for not doing it yesterday.
Just let it be enough.
Even thinking about exercise at the beginning of the year feels like getting sucked into new year resolutions. Yikes. And also (can things ever be simple?) my body is craving movement. No wonder after all of the stuffing and cookies and gingerbread people.
You’d think it’s easy - your body is craving movement, so why not just…move?
The problem is, my internal dialogue kicks in and it sounds something like this:
Sigh.
While those parts are arguing, guess what’s not happening?
Movement.
I think debate might be a reflection my all-or-nothing thinking or “optimization thinking”. The problem is - the arguing stops me from actually doing the thing and letting it be enough.
So I asked myself…
Can you be exercise curious?
For a few years now, I have been sober curious. I wasn’t happy with my alcohol consumption, drinking mostly as a way to be social.
It’s not that I don’t ever have a drink, but I no longer say yes by default. Instead, I get curious (one could say mindful) every time I consider having a drink.
There have been a handful of occasions I said yes, but for the most part, my answer has been a clear ‘no’. I love this approach for me because it isn’t too rigid and allows for agency in the moment.
Recently I’ve been thinking about becoming a vegetarian. Shocking, for those who know me irl, I know! In the past, I would have approached a decision like this with research and arguments. Is it really better for the planet? What about tofu and soy products? What if my family wants to eat burgers? Am I going to make exceptions and if so, which ones count? This year, it’s been different. One day, I declined chicken nuggets. On New Year’s Eve, we had fondue, and while I still ate the beef broth, I only cooked veggies. When my husband made soup, I didn’t pick out every piece of meat. Veggie-curious, I guess.
This realization—that I can make a decision in each moment—might seem so simple and obvious, but for me, it’s profound. It’s one way I’m wriggling myself out of the rigidity of my mind; one decision with agency at a time.
What if we used the same approach for exercise? What if we were exercise curious?
One day at a time, no force or pressure.
One choice at a time, with agency.
When it’s a yes, let it be enough.
When it’s a no, honor that no.
What other areas in your life can you apply this idea to? Will you give it a try? Let me know in the comments! ⤵️
(Here’s one idea: device-curious? I’m not ready to talk about it, but it’s on my mind—and I know it’s not just me!)
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I love this! I've been curious about going vegetarian but not ready to make the leap because I rely a lot on certain meats as safe foods, but I think that being intentional about each choice and opting for a different option when I can still matters. I need to remember that for movement as well. And that comic is wonderful!
Thanks for these thoughts and gentle challenges. I love the drawings. And I love the worlds of possibilities that begin with the words “What if…?”