Right now, there are two yous.
One is just getting through the day. Work. Kids. Head noise. Handful of snacks in the car. Drinks with your people because you need a laugh. You call it real life.
The other wants change. Steps. Lifts. Protein. Bed on time. Labs that look brand new. You call it goal life.
Keeping them apart is why it feels so hard. Sit all week, then try to cram 10k steps on Saturday. Skip breakfast, then raid the pantry at 3 PM. “Be good” till Friday, then start over Monday. It’s two lives competing. One life is no good for the other. And vice versa. It feels like you're always pulled between real life and goal life.
But you need to sew them together.
Make tiny seams. Rename today. You're not dieting. You're not just surviving either. You're "in training" ... for a life that feels good in all the ways. And manageable! I think the manageable part is a lens we usually forget to look through.
Say it out loud. You're sewing the 2 lives together, little by little. Then give it a chance to grow on you.
Order PFF at restaurants and skip the drinks. Or choose one indulgence like a lil dessert or a drink or some apps every once in a while. But not every time you hang out with friends or family. Your social calendar was never meant to dictate your indulgence calendar. No guilt, deprivation or food drama. Just choices.
Think about sometimes catching up with friends and family in a different way other than eating out or drinks. I love a good restaurant meal and someone else doing the dishes, don't get me wrong! But maybe sometimes you can do other activities with your people instead?
Pair joy with structure. If you're loving your murder mystery podcast series or girly audiobook, listen during a walk or while in the kitchen. Pleasure and progress at the same table.
Move inside your life, not just around it. Walk during a call. Ten squats while coffee brews. Take the stairs once on purpose. Let the scraps add up on top of the scheduled walks and workouts.
Set one boundary that buys you energy. Lights dimmed at eight. Phone charges + sleeps in the kitchen. A 20-minute block on your calendar with your name on it.
Do it just for 24 hours. Then again tomorrow.
One fabric. No costume changes. The two yous sewn together into the version of you who can be BOTH the one who is living a real life and the one who is upleveling wherever she wants to uplevel.
You’re not two people. You’re one person learning to live as a whole. And whole people get where they’re going.
XO,
Tara
P.S. If this hit a nerve, follow it. The Metabolic Edge. You'll find coaching, community, and clear next steps for results sewn together WITH real life.