I am both excited and a little dismayed that today is the final Monday in January; on the one hand, it's my least favorite month of the year and I'm eager to wish it farewell, but I'm also a little concerned that the year is already going by so quickly. But the final Monday of the month also means it's time to check in with my One Little Word.
There are lots of ways that Less has made itself known in my life this month (and I certainly hope that continues to be the case all year), but I'm choosing to focus on just one. First, a little background.
Many of you are probably aware that since the early days of the pandemic, getting daily exercise has been key to my mental health. I will fully admit that I've gotten a little obsessed with exercising -- and all things considered, if I'm going to have an obsession, at least exercise is a healthy one. I'm not one of those people who works out all day, but I do try to get at least an hour of physical activity in every day. Back when this first started, I was wearing a Fitbit and thus was very focused on my step count, aiming to hit 10,000 steps every day to keep a streak alive. When something prevented me from hitting that goal, be that illness or injury or demands on my schedule, I'd feel really guilty about it.
Late last year, I finally made the switch over to an Apple Watch, which does track steps but instead focuses on three rings: exercise, movement, and standing. The watch encourages you to close all three rings every day by hitting a certain number on your activity ring, a certain amount of time in your exercise ring, and a certain number of hours in which you've stood up for at least a minute. You can manually adjust all of these, but I chose to keep the factory settings: 720 for activity, 60 for exercise, and 12 for standing. Most days I have no trouble closing my rings, but there have been a few days (like the days we traveled to Florida and home and were sitting in a car or plane for most of the day) when I did not close my rings.
Past Sarah would have chastised herself for not hitting her daily goals and thought of herself as lazy. She would have felt guilty about not only not meeting those daily goals but also breaking streaks. But 2025 Sarah is trying to engage in Less negative self-talk and guilt. I've been working on reminding myself that one day, in the grand scheme of things, doesn't have a whole lot of impact. My focus is on health and physical fitness and not because I have a goal of being an elite athlete but because I want to be able to be healthy and able to keep moving long into the future. I have a feeling that breaking my foot has a lot to do with this because it forced me to realize that there are always limitations on what I can do and I have to make the best of my circumstances at any given time. The focus should be on moving my body as much as I'm able to on any given day. Some days that will mean a vigorous workout. Some days it might mean just moving around the house. It all averages out in the end, and every day is another opportunity, so focusing on any one day isn't really helpful. In other words, don't miss the forest for the trees!
Thank you to Kat for hosting our OLW link-ups this year!
I think you are off to a good start with Less. You're right to be interested in exercise and movement, but certainly not to the point of chastising yourself. Your broken foot was my first thought when you said there were days that you didn't close your rings. And don't discount all the days you did manage to close your rings despite having a broken foot! While those days may have been fewer than 100%, you still get a gold star for less.
ReplyDeleteOh! This is just such a brilliant start, Sarah! Yay to new you for not engaging in negative self-talk and guilt!! Being healthy does not equate to "closing all your rings" everyday, or getting 10k steps in. It also includes mental health and I think you have found a very good start!
ReplyDeleteI think this will be a very good word for you (and a good lesson!). No more negative self-talk and no more guilt. (And, I, too, am amazed that it is the end of January already!!)
ReplyDeleteSuch a good word for such a time as this. I keep going back to my Why? It helps me keep my focus.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're already learning some good lessons from Less. I used to wear my Apple watch and obsess over those rings. I stopped wearing the watch last summer and haven't missed it one bit!
ReplyDeleteI'll echo the gang -- what a phenomenal start!
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, my brother and I were just talking about this. He recently passed "12,00 days of 1200 steps"--the ritual was a HUGE player in getting through cancer recovery and a divorce, simultaneously. But he's now finding that he resents what was, until recently, the best part of his day. It's that arbitrary number, that arbitrary 'streak'... And he knows it -- he just needs to get to this space you describe.
You sure brought some good stuff from '24 into '25.
Nice work Sarah! I do have a relationship with those rings as well but fortunately I’m wired to be okay when the goals aren’t met. That said…I could probably be a bit more driven! :-)
ReplyDeleteI am SO GLAD that you learned to be less hard on yourself and are able to see the bigger picture. You are such a sporty and active person and you deserve rest days. I am a lot less active like you (I'm currently trying to get at least 30 mins of moving in at least five times a week), and even I can sit out. (I think one of the problems with tracking apps, etc. is that it can become too much about reaching the goal than the activity itself. I'm glad that the watch is working a lot better for you, too, in that regard)
ReplyDeleteYou are very wise. Sometimes it is hard to keep the fitness focus on physical well being instead of stats. Our culture encourages stats and competition. In some ways this month has lasted forever (dreading January 20 yet knowing it was coming) so while I don't like to wish my life away, I'll be happy to have it behind me.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great start with Less! I'm amazed that you were still able to close your rings AT ALL after you broke your foot - the fact that you did it most days seems like an impossible feat. Hurrah! And giving yourself grace on the days that you didn't close those rings is a big step.
ReplyDeleteI tend to be an all or nothing thinker and struggle when I skip something for a day or two. And you're right, in the big picture it doesn't really matter. What matters is getting back into practice and moving forward. Here's to February!
You have such great daily habits regarding your movement, a few off days here and there won't make a difference there, but the negative self-talk does make a difference to your mental health. Well done!
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