Back to Square One

I had a BIG DAY last week.⠀I went back to the gym for the FIRST TIME since I hurt my back almost a month ago. And let me tell you...⠀I. WAS. TERRIFIED⠀First of all, the last time I went to the gym, I barely made it out because I ended up hurting my back WORSE than it already was. I’ve been bouncing around a few different programs in the gym, just because I KNOW I need to get stronger in my areas of weakness. (Of course, I had NO idea how weak my back and hips actually were until I ended up sidelined.) I had started out doing some back squats and my back felt OK, but not great. Then, I went to do some dumbbell chest press and I did something as I pick up the weight and pain went SHOOTING up my back. Seriously, I was practically immobile - to the point where I was tempted to have someone carry me out to the car.When you get hurt like that, there is always that fear in the back of your mind that what happened the last time is going to happen again. Will I do it again? What if I hurt it MORE this time? What if I’m not really ready?So, heading back to the gym sounded pretty terrifying, honestly. But, my friend + teammate Michelle has been coaching me virtually through this injury and let me know that it was time to go back.Thankfully, it was an AMAZING session - and I haven’t had back pain since! I call that a win-win for sure!⠀However, heading back to the gym also meant something else. It meant that I was going to have to start over completely. Not picking up where I left off, but completely starting as if I’ve never lifted weights before in my life. Y'all, I've been working out for SO LONG that I don't even really remember what it feels like to have to start from square 1 again.⠀Starting over is scary. Will we ever get back to where we once were? Will we just end up failing again? Can't we just fast forward a tad to get back to where we were faster?⠀Just remember, there is nothing wrong with having to start over again. The most important thing is WHY you started in the first place. Whether it's your fitness, your business, or another aspect of your life...⠀It all circles back to your WHY.⠀Focus on how far you've come and how much stronger you've gotten from when you first started,because I promise you, you'll be back up and "running" a more confident, stronger version of the YOU you once were...But, you want some more tangibles, right?! “But, Kristen, like… HOW?!”Here are 3 things you need to remember when you’re looking at starting back at square one, whether in your life or your business…1. Start SMALL.What is one thing you can do to move ONE STEP forward? Don’t feel like you have to add EVERYTHING back in right away. What is ONE THING you can do today that will move you forward just 1%? Maybe it’s just setting your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier, or going for a walk around the block, or getting that post on social media. One thing adds up over time!2. Forget the past.Like I said, it’s hard for me to even think back to when I started running and lifting weights. I don’t remember what it even looked like. All I can think of is where I was right before I got hurt (or quit, depending on your case). But, if you keep focusing on WHERE YOU WERE, you’ll never get back to that point. Erase that from your memory and wipe the slate clean.3. Be prepared for SLOW movement.Look, you didn't get to where you were overnight, so remember it is going to take time to get back to where you were before. I would love to tell you I started running and was running a sub-20 5K right away, but the truth is, we all start somewhere and it takes TIME to get there. Even in business… I have to remind the girls on my team that I am NOT an overnight success. I’ve been in the online space since 2010 - much longer than most of them have been. I have 4K followers on Instagram simply because I’ve been doing it longer! It takes time people!So, girlfriend, don’t be afraid to have to start over. Because if you don’t make that first step, you’re never going to get back into it!