Embracing the Snot

Ethan has been sick off and on for a couple of weeks. This past week has been filled with days of coughing fits and phlegm. Lots... and lots... of phlegm. Today while he played, I noticed him toddling towards me with THE snottiest nose I had EVER (ever, ever, ever) seen. I swooped him up to go wipe off the snot (or begin WWIII) when he did the unimaginable- he smeared his snotty little nose across my shirt. He straight up pressed his head into my shoulder and wiped like he was teaching me a lesson.

The pre-child side of me began to shudder- I mean, I had just changed my shirt (after being thrown up on)! But, the mama in me stopped, took a deep breath, and decided to EMBRACE THE SNOT. Listen, my kid is sick, tired, and really hates having his nose wiped. The past two weeks have been a shit storm of sickness, sleepless, workout-less days and this was a pinnacle moment where I could lose it or, I could accept it in all of its glory and let it go. So, I chose the latter.

(I'm going somewhere with this... I promise.)

This situation got me to thinking about a friend who told me she is struggling to be consistent with her routine and every time she feels like she's in a good spot, something happens, sending her into a downward spiral and leaving her feeling well... snotted on. Now, I know to tell her- embrace the snot.

Snot, is just a setback. And setbacks don't automatically mean failure, they are opportunities for you to change and perhaps grow. They are chances to reevaluate where you are and how your system is working.

We have started to teach E to blow his own nose and it has been working great. We feel that we are on a good path but today we got derailed. So, do I never teach my kid to blow his own nose? Of course you know the answer.

If you want to be successful at creating a fitness routine and adhering to that routine you MUST embrace the snot. Take the moments where shit goes awry and let them go, move on and keep forging your path. You must try to look past the things you can't change and keep pushing towards your goals. Always remember your goals. In the end, fitness is not a perfect system for anyone. Setbacks are inevitable. What matters is that you are making strides and your overall trend (toward your goal) is positive.

Lastly embracing the snot means you have to make sure the system you have in place is manageable and realistic. If you're not routine person and you are expecting a daily workout at 0500 hours you might be setting yourself up for many setbacks. Make sure that there is a bit of flexibility and allow yourself to accept that flexibility.

EMBRACE THE SNOT.

xo,

Lauren