Each and everyone of us have a goal: to be in shape, spend less and better, read more, and so on. To reach that goal, we create a plan and we promise ourself we will stick to it.
Inevitably, the first hiccup, the first unforeseen event arrives, and it seems like we've thrown all the efforts made up to that point to the trash..

It happens to me and Silvia too: we follow a meal plan and suddently we receive frequent dinner and lunch invitations, it's holiday season (Easter is just around the corner) or we miss a workout due to long hours in the office.
It just happened to us last week! Silvia had two workouts planned for the weekend: one on Saturday and the other one Sunday. Unfortunately, she wasn't feeling very well on Saturday, so she managed to do 3 out of the 4 planned workouts.

In short... it's easy to fall back into "Oh no, I've messed it up today!".

The consequences

When your mind start to to think this way, the risk is that:

• you may feel the guilt for not sticking to our plan;
• you apply the "all or nothing" rule: if things don't go exactly as planned, I would rather give up.

This is because we tend to focus on mistakes, thinking they define us, and so they tend to demoralize us.

The result? We would rather give up. However, this takes us even further away from the lifestyle we so much want to achieve (I remind you that we prefer to talk about habits and not goals: we discussed this in the January newsletter, click here to read it).

Have we learned to handle the unexpected?

To avoid falling into the negative self-judgment loop, we have put together some smart strategies that help us get through these moments. What are they based on? Pause for thought and a bit of cunning (you can never have enough of that).


Put the slip-up into perspective As mentioned before, we focus too much on mistakes, so it's important to have a broader perspective: start visualizing and remembering all those times the plan was perfectly followed, this way you'll start to give proper weight to your previous successes.
Restart without judgment It's important to restart to shift our focus to what we truly desire.
How? Think about how you feel after sticking to the plan, and you'll find the strength to restart.
Whether it's a missed workout, an extra "free meal", or anything else you can think of, it's important to return to the lifestyle that makes you feel good. There's nothing better than resuming and, above all, appreciating the fact of having overcome this obstacle as well.

Play it in advance, when possible

Easter is around the corner, and we all know what that means: hearty meals with family and friends. These moments of conviviality should be fully enjoyed, but you can still play it smart.

• Is seconds really necessary? Do you need it or do you do it just to be a good guest?
• What awaits you for the second course/dessert? What gives you more satisfaction and what do you eat "somewhat reluctantly"? Are you obligated to accept this invitation as well?

Asking yourself these questions helps you stop and evaluate the consequences of your choices and actions.

Learn something about yourself

We want to reiterate something fundamental: a single meal or a single occasion does not determine the success or failure of your journey. On the contrary! They are opportunities that help you in getting even better, use them to look within.