Are You Trusting the Process?
/You decide you want to stop living on pizza, so you are learning to cook. But then you start wondering if you are getting in enough protein or vegetables. You try the latest superfoods and you have this nagging thought “Am I missing something?”
The problem with this? When you don’t trust the process your journey is hard. Plus, it prevents you from making a new habit.
Top Signs You Are Not Trusting the Process:
You are stressed wondering if you have “done it right” or “done enough”.
You are constantly changing tactics or …
Layering tactics, leading to confusion and overwhelm
Comparing your results to others; worried that you’ll never get the result you want
The Solution?
“When the student is ready the teacher will appear.” This proverb came alive to me when I was first learning to kayak surf. (You paddle out in your kayak, beyond the waves; then catch them to surf back to the beach.)
The 2nd day out I noticed how the ocean rolled, and wasn’t flat like it appeared from the shore. When I mentioned to my instructor “Wow, the ocean was calm yesterday and is moving today” he said “It rolled yesterday, too. You were not ready to be aware of it.”
I was focused on the mechanics of kayaking, flipping safely, and how to handle the big waves so missed what was going on around me. It was mental and sensory overload.
When you are creating a healthy lifestyle, it’s true that you need to plan.
You need to seek knowledge - which is why you are connecting with me. You also need to trust that when you are ready for the next level, the teacher and resources will appear.
For example, one of my clients wasn’t searching for an intuitive eating counselor - she didn’t know that existed. But she was tired of diets not working and was ready for a different approach. She heard me speak at a business conference and it clicked “Sheri’s the teacher I’m ready for.”
Two personal examples, in the past couple of years I dealt with two different medical issues. I did my research, took the steps I knew to take. And because I was ready - out of nowhere, in seemingly random business meetings - a teacher appeared for each issue.
Whatever health habit seems hard for you, do these three steps:
Whatever part is easily working for you, be faithful to do that. In ocean kayaking, I had to be faithful to practice the basics.
Be aware of your frustrations. What’s stressing you about the habit? Jot it down. And if a solution comes to mind, experiment.
This is the hard one for me. Trust. Keep your eyes open to people and resources that appear, without trying so hard to force it. Tell yourself “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”
