Week of July 10th

Building Mastery

Summertime schedules often offer people more time to focus on themselves, knock some things off of a to-do list, explore new places, try out the new restaurant down the block, or pick up some new hobbies! For the past few months I have been looking forward to taking advantage of these longer, lighter days to exercise. I’ve envisioned the runs I’ve wanted to go on, the weights I’ve wanted to lift, and the videos I’ve wanted to follow with the catchy music and built-in instructor cheering me on! Setting an intention and naming some of these aspirations was a solid first step.  Surprisingly, I have found myself more stuck in the vision rather than the application.

            I realize that maybe my goals were too large to get myself back into it. Maybe past experiences have gotten in the way of my ability to really put my sneakers back on and go for that jog. I realize that I need to start smaller, dip my toes in and build mastery of the process of daily intentional movement rather than jumping right back in.

I have named my new goal of doing 5 pushups, a minute plank, and 5 more pushups everyday. I noticed some judgements and comparisons to my previous athletic career, but I have redirected my thoughts to focus on the present. Even though 10 total pushups and a minute plank might not be a lot, it is a great next step to set a goal, make a plan and build mastery of the two exercises. Part of my plan is thinking about how I can hold myself accountable. Thinking about doing minimal exercise to engaging in a daily regime is a lot and not easy! I turned to my mom, who has expressed similar physical interests, and asked if she would want to be my teammate in this effort.

My mom and I laid out some expectations and goals. Our main goal is to listen to our bodies and complete our two sets of pushups and a plank each day. We can add 1 pushup and 10 seconds to our plank once our previous set became easy and our body felt equipped for more. We are on day 7 of our practice and have found it to be extremely fulfilling. When adding more pushups to our practice, we have felt a sense of mastery of the skills and implementing a daily practice. Building mastery is a DBT skill in the emotion regulation module to help individuals feel a sense of competence and achievement. Even though my judgments, as well as feedback from others, about starting with 5 pushups seemed comical, setting an intention, naming a goal, and achieving it everyday has made me feel empowered. It has demonstrated how taking steps to attain your goal not only gets you closer to it, but exemplifies that you are capable and have the power to control and change different parts of your life.

This week I challenge you to set one goal for yourself and write it down on a piece of paper. Once complete, return to that paper, check it off, and reflect on the experience. How did it feel to set and complete a goal? How was the process for you? What made the practice challenging? How might you build mastery of this task?

WORDS OF WISDOM

MEME OF THE WEEK

MUSIC

“Step by Step” by New Kids on the Block

BOOK OF THE WEEK
(Click below to Purchase Book)