"There is no decision that we can make that doesn't come with some sort of balance or sacrifice." — Simon Sinek
I went to a concert on Monday night.
Now, that sentence may not have shocked you, but for me to:
Leave my apartment past 7pm
On a Monday night, and
Go to BROOKLYN of all places (for my non NYC peeps...that trip is on par with the Oregon Trail...)
...That is pretty shocking. 👵
But it was one of my favorite bands, so I was willing to sacrifice:
Sleep (because the show ended late)
Money (because of course I took an Uber home)
A productive Tuesday (because I knew I'd feel like crap after 2 beers and less than 6 hours of sleep)
So even though this decision came with a few CONS, the PRO of getting to finally see this band play made it worth the sacrifice for me.
During the show I was reminiscing about "the old days" when I used to go to 2-3 concerts EVERY WEEK.
In my late teens and early 20s, the live music scene was a HUGE part of my life.
And while it came with many PROs (seeing cool bands, meeting interesting people) it also had lots CONS:
I drank a ton
I had an erratic sleep schedule, and
I ate a lot of fast food (and other late night indulgences...hello 24 hour diners...)
When I got interested in fitness in my mid-20s, I realized that something had to give.
So I weighed the PROs and CONs of changing versus staying the same.
In psychology, this tool is called decisional balance and is often used to help people decide whether or not to make a change.
At the time, my decision balance matrix probably would have looked something like this:
So, in weighing the PROs and CONs, I decided that I needed to give up the music scene.
And to be 100% honest, it was really hard...and probably not necessary.
Because I didn't need to COMPLETELY stop going to concerts...
👉 I just needed to learn how to set and hold better boundaries (with myself and those around me), so that I could ALSO honor my desire to improve my health.
But...I had a very all or nothing mindset at the time.
So, I went "all-in" on the world of health and fitness.
I got a job at a gym
I made new friends (who were all personal trainers)
And I almost never went out on a "school night"
And it paid off as far as helping me improve my physical health. But not so much when it came to my mental and emotional health. And for many years I struggled because I was neglecting to see health as anything more than how many push-ups I could do or what a number on the scale said.
I thought that any and all sacrifice in the name of physical health was always worthwhile.
But now I see things differently.... I see health with a much wider lense...one that looks at the WHOLE person... Not just their body. And I understand that YES, change does require sacrifice,
But that not ALL sacrifices are worth making.
👉 Especially if you are sacrificing your mental or emotional health simply for the sake of obtaining "perfect" physical health.
And when weighing the PROs and CONs of change, the only person that can decide if it's worth the sacrifice is YOU.
If you decide to honor other aspects of your health BEFORE your physical health,
It doesn't automatically mean that you are lazy, undisciplined or weak.
It's just demonstrating that those other areas of health are taking higher priority right now,
AND THAT'S OK.
But if you DO decide to make sacrifices in order to improve your physical health know that,
You probably don't need to sacrifice as much as you think you do.
Because it IS possible to make big improvements to your physical health without completely overhauling your life.
(Or quitting your job to become a personal trainer...)
So, will I go back to the "old days" of seeing multiple concerts every week...?
Nah.
At this point in my life, I'd much rather be in my PJs by 8pm. 🤷♀️
But I WILL continue to weigh the PROs and CONs of my choices via the lens of a whole person approach to health,
Which means that sometimes...I'm going out on a school night. 😱
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