Welcome to The LIFT
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THE MIRROR
A funny thing happened this morning in front of the mirror. After I finished my morning cup of coffee + washed my face, I painted on my favorite charcoal mask. My skin was a little congested + this mask always helps smooth away any signs of irritation. You just let it dry for 10 minutes + voila!
After it dried, I went to the bathroom sink to rinse it off + noticed something was different.
When the mask dries, you can see EVERYTHING! It really showcases your pores + all that’s trapped in there. But today, the drying pattern looked very different from how it normally looks. It stopped me in my tracks for a moment to take a closer look.
For the past several weeks, I have been using a new product in my skincare routine. It’s an AHA toner with niacinamide + kombucha. You only use it 1-2 times/week + it’s supposed to refine your pores + resurface your skin.
To be honest, I didn’t really think I needed it. I’m happy with my current routine + I didn’t really think swapping your toner one time/week could do anything significant. I was also a little concerned it might be irritating to my very sensitive skin since it was supposedly so potent.
The only reason I started using it is because I always like to try our products before I recommend them to my clients. So, I decided to give it a try for a few weeks so I could describe it better + share how to use it with any clients who ask about it.
SEEING IS BELIEVING
Well, what do you know! My skin LOVES this toner! I already felt like my pores are shrinking, but when I saw the charcoal mask dry on my skin I realized how different the surface of my skin has become.
It just really surprised me because I’ve only used the toner once/week for about a month - so about 4-5 times? I think there is a part of me that just can’t believe using something once a week can make that big of a difference.
Which brings me to this issue of The LIFT…
How many times do I discount something I do once/week? Or the power of ONE THING.
I had this same experience years ago when I first tried yoga. The fitness studio where my husband + I worked out started offering a yoga class once/week. We decided to give it a try because we were already paying for unlimited classes. Might as well!
Being new to yoga - it was a tough class for me. I was terrible at it. But, the thing I remember most was how every week my body could bend a little further, balance a little longer, breathe a little deeper.
It blew my mind because I didn’t think doing it only once a week would allow for any progress. I thought you’d have to practice daily for anything noticeable to happen.
But there I was. In that one class. Every week. Just once. And, every time I showed up for that one class, I saw changes in my body.
Each week I was stronger. More flexible. More grounded. I could bend in new ways. Balance in new stands. Be still in new positions.
THE POWER OF ONE
It got me thinking about this whole ‘all or nothing’ mentality we fall into.
We think if we aren’t doing something every day, it doesn’t count. So we don’t start.
We don’t see results the next day. So we stop. Rather than trusting the process + allowing that one small action to bring the change we seek over time.
We drop the ball one day + rather than start right back up the next day, we give up.
We think we have to do ALL THE THINGS. Every day. With perfection. Or just forget it.
We truly don’t believe that one small change can make a difference - when actually that is EXACTLY what makes the difference.
It’s not ALL the things.
It’s ONE thing.
Just ONE.
One tweak. One addition. One subtraction. One attempt. One fail. One repeat. One.
YOUR MISSION:
I challenge you this week to start with one. One walk. One workout. One meal. One step toward that thing you are putting off or that thing you are telling yourself is TOO late to start.
Start with one. Allow it to be enough. See what happens.
RESOURCES:
WATCH: Start with One | Robin Arzon
READ: 6 Signs Your ‘All-or-Nothing Thinking’ Is Getting in Your Own Way (& How to Break the Habit) | PureWow
LISTEN: Turning Doubt into Determination | Rich Roll Podcast
SHOP: The Charcoal Mask + AHA Toner I mentioned above. If you’ve never shopped Beautycounter before, you can save 30% with this promo code: CLEANFORALL30 + they have a full 60-day refund so don’t be afraid to try it. Easy returns.
IN SUMMARY:
Next time you feel like it’s all or nothing. Like you’ve failed somehow. Or you don’t even want to start because you don’t feel like you can follow through. It seems too big to take on. Remember that you don’t have to do it all at once. Just one step.
The same goes for all the things we want. We don’t really want it all at once. We think we do, but if it all came at once, we would be overwhelmed. We’d miss the magic. The nuances. The details.
Just like you don’t want to eat every meal all at once. Can you imagine if every meal you were ever going to eat showed up all at once? It would be awful! You couldn’t digest it. It wouldn’t taste the same.
Enjoy the small bites. Small actions. Trust the manageable pace + rhythm. Slow down + let it be enough.
We can practice together.
See you next week?
Meanwhile - you can read thru the archives here. And, please reach out to me anytime!
Email: karen@becounter.com
Instagram: @redefiningkaren
Trapped by All or Nothing
This is one of my favorites, Karen! Thanks for the additional resources. I plan on checking them out. :))
I was looking for something for a friend but what I found was exactly what I needed to read today. I tend to overthink, sometimes I’m a perfectionist. This is why I call myself an optimist procrastinator. But this approach is doable. Accomplish one thing a day. Thanks!!