Humble Beginnings

Y'all I don't know about you but I know there is something terrifying about starting something new or starting something "again". This morning I saw the blue skies in Pittsburgh which if you are from here you know how rare that is!!

I set a goal for myself. Run for 40 minutes. That is all, no pace requirements.... just keep moving. I turned on Maverick City Musics new album and let the worship flow! Now I am not here to start over spiritualizing my running routine. I am here to let you know that I am human. I struggle with motivation, I don't workout everyday, I let routine slip and I have set backs. Just like the rest of you! If you are reading this and feeling guilt or shame I want you to stop yourself now. This post isn't to shame you into running or working out or starting a new diet! It is to say, I am with you in this! I get it, it's hard!

So lets take a deep breath and know that we are on the same team here. I ran for 40 minutes at a pace that I would have said was SO SLOW. I used to never post a pace like this. Not because it's a bad pace, but because I felt like it wasn't "good enough". I don't want my feed or this blog to be this place of striving. I want it to be inviting and a place you go to rest! I want you to come here and think "Taylor gets it!" I want to invite you to do the thing you WANT to do! Now that is not to say you sit on your couch for a month eating ice cream and donuts.....even though that sounds nice.......realistically not so good for us.

I want us to go for the run in beautifully weather because we want to! Not because we are striving to show the world how "tough" we are. I want to give you some practical tips for starting the thing that you are afraid of right now. It doesn't even have to be fitness related! It could be job related, spiritually related, or relationally!

1. I want you to call out your GUILT and SHAME and tell it that it has to go. It has no place in this new adventure.

2. Start small and with no expectations. This might look like taking a 15 minute walk! It might be going to the gym for the first time in a long time! It also could look like setting a boundary that you are afraid will result in anger. Start small, do the thing and don't hold yourself to an expectation that you can't meet.

3. Don't compare your humble beginning to someone else. In other words STAY IN YOUR LANE. It is not our job to keep looking to others for where we should be!! Everyone is going to look different, so stop the comparison game and focus on your own progress.

This isn't a step by step guide of how to become a super fast runner! These are some tips that YES you can apply to running or whatever your fitness goals are. They are also tips that can be used in almost situation in life. So wherever you are today, give yourself grace. Tomorrow is a new day, and a new start. Let the pressure go and just start small!

I love y'all

Taylor Rae