You're not late: What if this is exactly when it happens

After a long, long time of not exercising consistently, the two of us crossed over the 6-month mark of meeting daily at 5:30am to do strength training. 

While every once in a while our brains offer us thoughts of pride in our consistency, way too often we hear the internal refrain of “I should have started this years ago.”

 Exercising.
Writing.
Saving.
Setting boundaries.
Making that change you keep thinking about.

There’s a particular kind of ache that comes with imagining how far along you’d be by now.

But let’s be honest.

Five years ago you were deep in it.
Last year you were juggling twelve plates.
Last month you were just trying to get everyone fed and to bed.

You aren’t late. You’re just on time. 

Can you imagine telling your 6 year old who is learning to ride a bike and is so proud of herself that she should have started when she was 5?

Judging your past self doesn’t make you grow faster. It just makes you feel terrible now and potentially negatively impacts your current momentum. 

What actually moves you forward is something much simpler: focusing on who you are today with love and compassion for who you were yesterday.
“Of course I didn’t start then. And look at me starting now.”

Your past self was never a problem.
She’s the reason you’re here and able to start now.

All versions of you- past, present, and future- do better when you are on their side.