Self Acceptance

What might happen if you wrote your own fitness mission? Instead of listening to everyone else blahblahblah about what you should be doing?

For starters, you might feel empowered + inspired. And who doesn’t need a little more empowerment + inspiration in their life?

A fitness mission statement is a clear + simple statement of intent.

It’s what you want to do + how you want to live. Every day.

Because YOU are the authority when it comes to your body.

Below are some steps you can follow to start developing a fitness mission statement. I’ve included my own statement at the end of this post.

A couple of tips before you get started.

Take your time. This process can take you an hour, a day, two weeks, or longer. So don’t rush it. Don’t feel you have to “get it” all at once.

Be open to change. A mission statement isn’t forever. You can always change your mind as you change and your life changes.

Step 1: Start getting curious about yourself.

Ask yourself some questions.

Such as:

• Who am I? (And who have I become?)
• Who do I want to be? Why?
• What do I stand for? Why?
• What is meaningful and important to me?
• Where do I want to go? What fitness, nutrition, and/or health behaviors will get me there?
• How will I know if I’m making progress?
• What do I truly enjoy?
• If I had total control of my own health, fitness, and/or nutrition path, what would that look like?

Step 2: Look for the themes that re-appear.

If you consider all your answers together, what are some of the common ideas that start to emerge?

For instance:

• Being a role model is important to me.
• My job is important to me.
• Helping other people is important to me.
• I like competing.
• I like learning.
• I like having fun.

Step 3: See if you can capture the essence.

Finally, see if you can capture the who, what, why, where, and how in a few simple, very clear sentences that relate to your health, fitness, and nutrition.

Even if you don’t have a “perfect” or perfectly clear mission statement, you’ll still have worked towards putting something meaningful into practice.

Which is more than most people ever do.

My Personal Fitness Mission

I am a courageous + resilient woman who is dedicated to improving her health and well-being. One day + one habit at a time.

I am devoted to supporting other women who want to create healthier bodies and more fulfilling lives through whole-hearted + compassionate coaching.

I say YES to celebrating every win. Nothing is too small.

I say YES to eating whole + nutritious foods most of the time.

• Because my brain and heart and lungs and hair and skin deserve the highest quality fuel.
• Because every loving choice is a deposit in the self-respect bank.
• Because eating nutritious food feels good and gives me GENUINE gratification over time.
• Because happiness increases when we live with integrity.
• Because whole + nutritious food satisfies my hunger (and cookies just make me want MORE).
• Because there is so much life to live + so many adventures to go on.
• Because LIFE is more delicious when food isn’t my primary source of pleasure.

I say YES to guilt free indulgences some of the time. Eaten slowly and savored.

• Because chocolate is delicious.
• Because restriction leads to rebellion.

I believe there are no one size fits all instructions for healthy living. We are the authority when it comes to our body.

I believe in moving my body in an energizing way. No more beatings. No more harder, faster, stronger. No more pushing through the pain.

I believe in trying new things + learning from missteps + never giving up.

I believe in goals that feel coherent + uplifting.

Progress is no longer measured exclusively by a number on a scale going DOWN.

Progress is measured by levels of acceptance + empowerment + joy going UP.

I am committed to having more fun.

I am committed to nurturing my inner yogi. I knew she was in there.

I am committed to SLAYING perfectionism.

I am committed to cultivating self-love.

I am striving to improve, but I am already enough.

XO ~Robyn

Interested in a one-on-one coaching relationship with me?

It would be an honor to work with you if and when the time feels right.

To learn more about one-on-one Health Coaching click HERE. 

To schedule a Discovery Session click HERE.

In my previous post, I offered up a simple tool to disrupt your inner bully. If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend you do. It’s the easiest way I’ve found to diminish self-shaming.

Unwinding years (and often decades) of bullying yourself may seem hard, but not changing a behavior that affects you in negative ways is hard too.

Making a deliberate choice to end the war with my body was one of the best gifts I ever gave to myself.

When you judge yourself or someone else, you’re not helping yourself or them in any beneficial way.

I grew up in a household where we spent a lot of time picking other people apart. The tradition continues to this day…

• He walked around with his shirt off. I shouldn’t have to look at that!
• Did you see how fat cousin blahblahblah got?
• She needs to put down the cake and go to the gym.
• Um, has she heard of Botox?

It’s no surprise I struggled with my own self-image for so long.

I’ve willingly participated in these conversations in the past. I’ve chosen to no longer do so.

Many of us believe bringing other people down will make us feel better. It doesn’t. When we remark about fat (or cellulite, etc.), we are teaching our daughters and sisters and friends that it’s entirely appropriate to make comments about women’s bodies. That it’s okay to evaluate and critique other women. That they will be evaluated and critiqued.

“If she feels that way about blahblahblah, then what must she be thinking about me?”

What most people hear when you talk about any body is their interpretation about what that might mean about their body.

What I didn’t realize until very recently, was that my judgment of others had nothing to do with them + their flaws. It had everything to do with me + my insecurities. I was projecting what was within me onto others. My own judgments + insecurities became judgments about them.

As you become aware of your “other-judgments” you will likely notice how frequently they show up. You’re not a bad person for having these thoughts. Most women do.

Today, I’m asking you to stop giving them a voice.

If you find yourself judging another woman’s body, look for the lesson instead. What might be happening with you? What might you be projecting about yourself onto this other person? Get curious.

Most often, what is happening when we are judging someone else is this…

We are reacting to something we don’t like about ourselves.

We can use our energy for self-shaming and judging (which accomplishes zero) – or for compassion and kindness.

So how do you stop giving voice to judgments? Disrupt the pattern.

Start with practicing peace around your own body for a minimum of two weeks – then, move on to other-judgments when you feel ready.

When you notice that you’re judging someone negatively, simply say to yourself, “I choose peace,” or “this doesn’t serve me or anyone.” Pick a phrase that resonates with you.

Practicing a pattern of thinking makes it stronger. Each time you disrupt your judgments, the pattern weakens a little.

Now you might be thinking, “oh that’s nice, but not me.”

Yes, you!

Women spend way too much time + energy bashing themselves and others. It’s an epidemic. It’s making us miserable. And it needs to stop.

Commit to one day. If it goes well, try two weeks.

Your energy is precious. Your power is great.

Reallocating what you spend them on will change your life.

XO ~Robyn

I work with women who want to learn how to create real + lasting health changes. We’ll use a sustainable, practice-based approach to build healthy habits into your life, one day at a time for an entire year.

As your coach, I’ll provide accountability + direction + support every step of the way. I’ll help you stay consistent, no matter what life throws at you.

If this approach resonates with you, CLICK HERE for details on how to work together.

No one likes a bully.

Nevertheless, almost every woman has one thing in common. They are a bully to themselves.

Most of us aren’t even aware of our behavior. The cruel thoughts just stream through our minds…

• You’re disgusting.
• No one would ever find your body attractive.
• You’d look better wearing a garbage bag.
• Don’t even think about trying those on.

I recently stumbled upon this video. Two best friends wrote down the things they dislike about their own bodies – then proceeded to say these comments out loud, directed at one another.

Why do we say things to ourselves that we wouldn’t ever say to (or think about) our best friends or children or sisters?

When I work with my clients, we focus on one habit for two weeks. I invite you to do the same.

For the next two weeks, begin to notice the way you talk to yourself. When you’re standing in front of the mirror or in the shower or getting dressed – are you being kind or cruel?

Just notice.

And as you notice your thoughts, if anything hurtful or negative comes up, simply say to yourself, “I choose peace.”

This practice won’t instantly erase years of negative thought patterns, but it will begin to help you unwind this destructive behavior.

The first step toward silencing the bully is to become mindful of your self-talk.

You can start today.

Commit for two weeks.

Disrupt the bully in your head.

Choose peace.

*This is the first in a series of posts around making peace with your body. More to come.

XO ~Robyn

I work with women who want to learn how to create real + lasting health changes. We’ll use a sustainable, practice-based approach to build healthy habits into your life, one day at a time for an entire year.

As your coach, I’ll provide accountability + direction + support every step of the way. I’ll help you stay consistent, no matter what life throws at you.

If this approach resonates with you, CLICK HERE for details on how to work together.