Have you ever eaten one of your favorite foods to the point it made you sick? And then, you never wanted to eat it again?
I did that, when I was about three years old. My mom brought home some fresh cherries. They were luscious and juicy and straight off the tree. We ate and ate and ate.
And ate some more.
That is, until I got sick.
I haven’t put a fresh cherry in my mouth since then. I even gave away the maraschino cherries on top of sundaes and milkshakes until just a few years ago.
I still won’t touch fresh cherries.
Why?
Because they make me sick (in this case, it’s not figuratively 🙂 ). It’s not hard for me to avoid them because I know I don’t like them and they don’t allow me to live a healthy, happy life. It’s that simple.
If only it were that simple to avoid the other things in life that you don’t like and that don’t allow you to live in a healthy and happy way…can you imagine how much better you would feel?
Just what would you avoid?
- Pushy sales people
- Having to tell someone no
- Mirrors
- Snakes (OK, that one is for me)
- Dentists
- DMV
- Fast food
- Complaining
As the new year starts, I’d like to invite you to pick something that you are going to actively avoid over the next year- something that will bring you more peace and less anxiety by taking it out of your life. Something that will make you healthier without its presence.
Once you decide on it, I want you to do more than resolve to avoid it. I want you to firmly commit to avoiding it. Here’s how:
- Comment below or tell a friend what you will be avoiding. Sharing will help keep you accountable and on track.
- Put reminders in various places as you get started on the process. Write it on your bathroom mirror. Put it on a sticky note in your dashboard. Make it your screensaver.
- Build in time to reflect on how you’ve done each week. This will let you see how you’re doing. Recognize the strides you’ve made, and don’t expect yourself to do it perfectly without a flaw from day one.
- Work through any excuses that come up. “I can’t.” “It’s hard.” “I’m going to offend someone.” “It’s raining.” “I’m tired.” “It’s easier to just do it myself.” You know the excuses. Find a way to be true to yourself instead of a way to be true to things that don’t make you happier and healthier.
- Reframe it to be positive. Instead of saying, “I’m going to avoid snakes all year,” try saying, “I’m going to focus on all of the cheerful chirps of the birds in my yard (instead of fretting about what may not actually be there at all),” or “I’m going to work in my yard a little bit each week, in spite of my fears.” That way, it’s easier to focus on what you can do than what you shouldn’t do. Plus, a little positivity goes a long way.
So, just what will you avoid this year? Feel free to share below in the comments. You just may inspire someone else to try the same thing you are!