September 9
What To Do When You Feel Like Quitting
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Day #19 of my 21-day detoxification and cleanse program. I am so close to the finish line, I can feel the euphoria seep through my body. My energy is consistent throughout the day, my sleep is solid, and I am building a lot of momentum for ideas and taking action in both of my businesses. Not a single drop of coffee or alcohol, not even a taste of the homemade decadent chocolate raspberry buttercream cake I made on my husband’s birthday. I made it through hectic mornings, long afternoons, caffeine withdrawals, parties, dinners with friends, and outings without giving in to peer pressure and ‘oh one drink won’t matter’.
Until today.Â
All I want is a damn cup of coffee.
This desire sounds innocuous. A simple cup of warm aromatic creamy coffee to kick start my day.  If only it were that simple. If I give in to the desire, it will throw off my near state of homeostasis and all the hard work I have been putting forth in eradicating toxins and reclaiming my optimum well being.
So here I am, standing in front of our coffee station about to press the button that delivers my favorite aroma of freshly ground beans and hints of vanilla and hazelnut. Then I stop and ask, ‘what the hell am I doing?’ Then the inner dialogue begins – don’t be a quitter – do you really need that cup of coffee?
Immediately I had a reframe and thought, what do I really want at this moment? What needs attention or to be nourished? I started thinking about why I decided to take this enormous leap by changing my eating habits and shedding the physical and emotional baggage that’s been weighing me down. This is how I talked myself out of saying no and quitting:
Know & Remember your WHY. Whatever it is that you started, whether it’s a major project at work, painting your living room, clearing an area in your backyard, a blog, a new side hustle, cleaning out your kids closet – no matter what the scope and size of the task, the WHY in what your doing has to be strong enough to keep you going. There will always be moments in any endeavor where you question what you are doing if it’s worth it or you may not be seeing the results you expected. Know why you embarked on the mission and let it be compelling enough to keep you pushing forward when the times get tough. Because I assure you, they will suck and your why will propel you through the murky seas of uncertainty. I thought about my why and remembered that I am doing this to break out of the cycle of emotional eating and numbing out with alcohol. I want to feel energized and motivated again to do the hard things that I have set out to accomplish and I certainly can’t do them in a foggy state of mind.
Change the scenery. Literally. Take a break and move to a different location. Get outside and take a walk. I sound like a broken record with this one and I can’t seem to emphasize it enough. Being outside boosts your creativity, it stimulates your endorphins, and it combats stress and anxiety. If you can’t get outside, change what you are doing. Turn up the volume and listen to your favorite song, call a friend or family member that knows about your current challenge and get support. Whatever it is, walk away from what you are doing before you pull the trigger. Give yourself some space to process what is going on.
Make a list of the 5 biggest challenges you’ve recently been through. Think about the last challenge and how you got yourself through it. How did you feel when you accomplished your challenge? What did you do to celebrate? What were the steps you took to get through the difficult moments when you felt like giving up? Did you fall off course? What habits did you cultivate along the way? These moments instill the groundwork for creating the path in reaching your goal or overcoming the challenge. Remember your WHY and recommit to it. Make it powerful and believe in yourself. You can get through anything. You have to believe it in order to make it happen.
Get real with uncomfortable. This inevitably is the single hardest thing for me and I am working on it every day.  It’s that re-occurring aha moment when I turn to distraction when feeling anxious, tired, unmotivated, pressed for time, overwhelmed, sad, irritated, and even at times excited. These moments test your willpower, motive, discipline, and the habits you currently have in place. They also shed light on how much we don’t allow ourselves to simply feel our feelings. They have meaning (good, bad, indifferent) when we give value to them and often in times they turn into judgment and guilt. When you start to feel distracted, what are your thought patterns? How can you step into the moment even when it totally sucks and you aren’t sure what to do with these emotions?
Awareness is the first step in getting real with the uncomfortable. Recognize it, own it, and move through it. Your waistline, your body, and your mind will thank you for not quitting. Keep pushing forward even when it totally sucks, and live on purpose!