The Summer Olympics are well behind us, but there is something that has been niggling at me ever since the Track events started....
Did you notice the rule change of one false-start and you're out?!
My heart was aaaaaaching for all the athletes who got caught out by their adrenaline and eagerness to chase down their dreams - hopes of glory dashed before they ever really started!
It got me thinking.... how many times do we do this to ourselves?
How often do we get hyped up about doing something, have a false start ie. it does not go quite as we hope (it's hard, we suck, we fail), and immediately decide that "this isn't for me" or "I can't do it"?
Spoiler alert: it happens A LOT!
If you are anything like me, you have tried 12,856 ways to lose weight but as soon as temptation became "too much" or you did not see results as quickly as you'd like (a false start), you gave up.
Maybe you've wanted to get fitter - you try running, decide that it's hard and you are not very good at it (a false start), and so you throw in the towel.
Perhaps you started a 'side hustle', you jumped in head first, did not get aaaaaall the customers straight away (a false start), so quit because "clearly this is not for me".
Girl... why does our heart ache for the athletes on screen - why do we yell for the umpire to understand what they are going through and just give them one. more. chance - and yet we can't show ourselves a similar level of compassion?
The achievement of any goal we push for depends on our ability to keep setting ourselves back up for the race every single time we have a false start.
Because sucking, struggling and failing are PART of the process, NOT proof as to why we can't do it.
I truly hope this helps you develop a little more self-compassion as you strive to change the things in your life that you are dissatisfied with.
xoxo Sabs
