THE LAUNCH

It’s Day One of my Lifestyle Makeover. The starting line was originally set for a week from today—my sober anniversary—but the first of the month makes more sense. It also gives me one week to tip-toe into the whole idea. Just to get this out of the way, and since I’m going to be totally honest and transparent here… I don’t have the Get-Up-and Go-For-It mentality that I wish I had right now. I’m not feeling inspired, OR motivated.

That’s the thing though. If I wait until it feels right, this lifestyle change might never take-off.

I’ve chosen an old image for this. I love the idea of running feet to represent this new journey that I’m on. They symbolize change, growth, and forward momentum. I’m tracking my progress for myself, but also for anyone who’s been considering taking some steps to change their health, eating habits, or lifestyle.

I thought I’d use this first seven days to survey (and talk about) my thoughts, to sketch out a little road map, and to share some of the ideas I have about this transformation. I have no doubt that my daily chronicles will contain humorous anecdotes. I was in the middle of writing the introduction when my mother walked in… marble pound cake in hand… and I caved. No one said it would be easy! 😉

I’m not entering into some dull, rigid, or torturous program here… No siree! This renovation is going to be fun and adventurous. I’m going to try foods that I’ve never tried, do things that I’ve never done, and experience life in ways that I’ve never before considered—from a totally new perspective. That’s the plan anyway.

The goal here is subtle change. I was excited to stumble on an article about a book by Robert Maurer, Ph.D., “One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way.” I won’t have my hands on it until tomorrow, but the title speaks volumes and seems pretty self-explanatory. Little micro-alterations, that take place gradually, work (and stick) far better than those nearly impossible and enormous changes we try to make.

This last part is where things get uncomfortable. I WILL keep tabs on my body’s metamorphosis. The starting point, obviously, is the hardest to reveal. So… to make things easier (and less conspicuous) I’m going to keep those stats tucked away on my home page. I won’t be shouting them from the rooftops, or sharing them on my posts. If anyone is truly interested in those thoughts and numbers, they can be found there. I think that’s fair.

That’s all I have to share for Day One. It’s all mental work right now. I’m excited though! Thinking and writing has moved my motivation level up one notch from where it was this morning. That’s better than no notch at all! I’m curious to see how this plays out. Maybe nothing will change, maybe everything will change, but the bottom line remains constant…

I’ll never know unless I try.

—Janet
Wish me luck!