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Chris Wilkinson Column: Don’t want to do it? Challenge yourself

Chris Wilkenson column: Employ some grit
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They went that way, I presume, says Bonnie Potter after coming off the trail and into the roadway during the Cowichan Challenge run. Challenge yourself! (Don Bodger/Black Press)

By Chris Wilkinson

When was the last time you issued yourself a challenge? Elevated your game. Showed some true grit as it relates to bettering yourself.

In the spirit of Happier, Healthier Aging – let’s chat about whether you’re up for a fun challenge for your health!

First and most important question is: Are you 100% content with your health currently?

If you answer an honest ‘yes’ – then you do not need to keep reading. If your answer is anything less than 100%, keep reading.

If you were to identify one area of your health right now that you’d like to experience an improvement in, what would it be? Energy throughout the day and week? Healthier eating / nutrition habits? More activity? More time for yourself or reduced stress? Weight loss? Better fitness? Better sleep? Learning something new? Read a book?

Once you’ve selected the goal, dive a little deeper with it.

For instance, if it’s more time for yourself/reduced stress, what does that look like exactly? Is it letting go of a certain activity or commitment you have right now, to create space for the thing you’ve been wanting to get to? Is it carving out some time to sit at the beach and read for 45 minutes a few times a week? Is it doing a simple beginner yoga / stretching routine you can find for free on YouTube? Or going to a weekly yoga class? Or simply going for a walk on one of the numerous beautiful Cowichan Valley trails a few times each week?

And now the ‘Challenge’… are you willing to challenge yourself to stick with it for 1 month? Doing something once is great to check it off the ‘bucket list’, yet to receive the numerous gifts a healthy challenge can bring for you and sticking to it for one month at minimum.

Challenge yourself to stick with your new activity for one month for sure and just see what happens. You don’t yet know what surprising gifts you will receive. Be open to that.

Then employ some grit. There will be times when you would normally find other reasons to not stick with it or to take care of some other ‘to-do’ task that seems important (and may not be in hindsight).

But do it anyway. Employ some grit.

There will be times you just don’t feel like it.

But do it anyway. Employ some grit.

There will be times when your inner voice says ‘no, let’s not bother today’.

But do it anyway. Employ some grit.

There will be times when others want you to do something other than your goal activity.

But do it anyway. Employ some grit.

Be open to it. Clear the space for it and see what gifts you receive.

Do it anyway and employ some grit.

Chris Wilkinson is the Owner / GM for Nurse Next Door Home Care Services for Cowichan and central Vancouver Island. For more info visit www.NurseNextDoor.com or for questions or a free in-home Caring Consult call 250.748.4357, or email Chris.Wilkinson@NurseNextDoor.com