The path of least resistance rarely takes you to your desired destination.
I recently had a conversation with a friend (similar to countless conversations I have had with parents over the years) about the endurance and consistency required to parent younger (and older) children. We were commiserating about how it is especially difficult to stick to what you say and be consistent; more than that, it’s draining. We lamented how it would be so much easier to give in to their demands in exchange for just a few moments of peace…
However, when you give in and fail to follow through with what you said you would do, problems inevitably arise. One exception leads to another and before you know it, you are met with a child who is confused by inconsistent boundaries and unphased by words that do not hold their value or meaning. Ultimately, you end up with a child who does not understand rules and consequences and more often than not is increasingly defiant as attempts are made to enforce expectations. In this way, what was initially that path of least resistance ends up becoming a more difficult route over time.
The road to sustainable weight loss and lifestyle change is no different. We can either choose to take the path of least resistance: do what feels good in the moment, go with the flow, and deal with the compounded (and often dire) negative consequences of not taking care of ourselves, OR we can choose to confront our unhealthy habits now. We can willingly and deliberately face the discomfort head on and create a life that has the potential to have more freedom and joy down the road.
The path of resistance is not easy. It is not popular. It is difficult.
Many love to throw around the word ‘change’ as if change is so simple and easy to attain. Change, in its truest form, requires immense discipline. It requires daily and even minute to minute decisions to stick with something when it is unfamiliar and uncomfortable and often even undesirable. It requires willfully choosing to stay in a space of discomfort and disruption without any guarantees of being able to see immediate results from your efforts. And it requires you to continue to implement change until those implemented changes become second nature.
This is the part that people often fail to acknowledge when they talk about making changes. When you are creating true change, though, you should expect to be met with resistance. More than that, you should prepare to embrace it!
The other thing people fail to recognize about change is that true and lasting change transforms us from the inside out. But this takes time, dedication, commitment. It’s what everyone wants, but it doesn’t come easy. There’s no shortcut.
If you are ready to truly make a change in your lifestyle, then I encourage you to prepare to take the road less traveled. This road is for the minority, but it is by taking this path in life that you can become the version of yourself that you long for. When you choose to embrace the resistance along the way, know that you are setting yourself up for a change that you can sustain for a lifetime. And this path, although it will require both sacrifice and resolve, it’s a path worth pursuing because your joy, your freedom, your health – these are worth pursuing.
Thank you, Coach Alison Morrone, for this post! You can learn more about Coach Alison here. Get a FREE consult with Coach Alison here and/or join our VIP Group for FREE for 30 days.
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