A Wellness Blog
thoughts and things
Why It Matters
February 5, 2025
The “F#$& it!” s. You know the ones. The times you just can't be bothered to do the thing you promised yourself you'd do. The activity you were so excited about—prepped and planned and even made a little celebratory checklist for. But now? Now, it's a hard pass. You told yourself you wouldn’t eat that post-dinner treat. You promised yourself that you'd wake up early to exercise before work. You swore you’d prepare your lunches for the workweek on Sunday, because "future you will thank me".
But fast forward to 5:30 a.m., and your alarm is shouting at you—snooze. It's post-dinner TV time, and what’s that? You’re somehow already halfway to the kitchen for that "just one bite" of a treat. It's like the plan you had was a distant memory. “I’ll just eat this one snack. F#$& it!” Sigh. We’ve all been there.
It doesn’t mean that we can’t succeed in reaching our goals after making mistakes—far from it! Success comes from the consistent, though imperfect, practice of healthy habits - it's the real path to lasting change.
The issue arises when those “F#$& it!” moments become the default response, turning into a habit of letting ourselves off the hook. It’s easy to slip into this pattern, but over time, it can erode our self-trust. And if you’re operating from a fixed mindset, where failure feels final, it can derail your efforts entirely.
and the vision we have for our best selves. And that is everything!
When introducing a new healthy habit or routine into our life, letting go of the impatience around the end goal and surrendering to the process is a great place to start because, well, that’s exactly what it is—a process. Wellness isn’t a destination; it’s a journey. And the goal is to make health a sustainable part of our life, so the changes we make need to be practical, fitting where we’re at in the moment. A growth mindset is believing that with effort, learning, and persistence, we can develop the skills and abilities we need. With this mindset, nothing can hold us back.
If you want to begin a morning exercise routine, for example, starting by identifying the challenges and making plans to overcome them is important. What time do I need to wake up...when do I need to get to bed? Is the class booked...do I know where I'm going; or, is the video cued up...are the weights nearby? Is my lunch packed and outfit ready for my workday? Should I leave my workout clothes by the bed or just sleep in them? (Hey, whatever works, right?)
Having a plan sets us up for success. It is our mindset, however, that gets us over the finish line. How we respond to our inevitable “F#$& it!”s makes all the difference. Responding with a fixed mindset like "See, I'm not a morning person, I can't do it. Waking up is impossible!" has us giving up before we even start. Whereas responding with a growth mindset, like "I'm disappointed in myself. Oh well, this is a new habit for me. It happens, I'll re-commit and try again tomorrow". Until one day, you're regularly waking up early to workout because it is just who you are now.
Recently, I wanted to break the habit of snacking while watching TV after dinner. I’m a big fan of sweet treats though so I knew to be successful - and sustainable - I'd have to give myself options to practice, like “Good/Better/Best.” For example, Good is a pre-made, healthy snack (like this Cottage Cheese Chocolate Mousse recipe: 1c Cottage Cheese + 4 tbsp Cocoa Powder + 2 tbsp of maple syrup blended... OMG it's so good!), Better is a piece of fruit, and Best is no treat at all. The practice continues.