Put on your big girl/boy shoes!

A conversation I had early last week led me to thinking about the difference between liking the idea of something versus liking something.

As with many concepts and theories that I come across in life, I started trying to critically analyse this difference by looking at examples of it in my own life's journey.

There are things that I desire to have and to accomplish to get to my higher self and to living my best life. In all aspects of my life, there is a higher level I can reach to be "that girl" in my eyes.

Until this week, I thought I have always loved my higher self not just the idea of her. Keep reading to find out what I concluded to be the difference between liking the idea of something and liking it is in our pursuit for personal development.

You can't like something unless you have been exposed to it.

You like the idea of something when you start thinking of what it might be like. For example you start thinking of what it might be like if you worked out consistently, if you spent your time wisely, if you stopped talking to yourself negatively and so on.

On the other hand, you like something when you know what it's like and you stick with it. You can only say you like being a person who spends money wisely when you start continuously spending money wisely. I hope that makes sense.

Change starts happening when we get to a point where we change from liking the idea of our future selves to liking our future selves by stepping into their shoes through our actions.

The person you are trying to be wears bigger shoes than your current self and just like a child wearing their parent's big shoes trying to be them, the chances of tripping and falling are high.

I used to try walk in the shoes of my higher self and whenever I fell I would get up and out of those shoes. Stepping into those shoes for a bit and then out is not liking your future self. Going to the gym for two weeks then stopping is not liking your physically healthy self.

Last year I would try them on so much. I had so many first days back in the gym, new budgeting tactics and so many "this is the last times". But I didn't like being in those shoes. I didn't like having to budget , I didn't like having to work out everyday without seeing results, I didn't like having to go for therapy.

As soon as I changed my behaviours and decided to actually put on my big girl shoes instead of trying them on, I started identifying things that were tripping me up and this is still an ongoing process.

Working hard is good but working long is better. When you work hard you need effort, strength and force which run out easy but when you work longer, you need patience and resilience which stay with you in the game from the start, through obstacles and to the finish line.

The longer I have stayed in my big girl shoes, and I want to make this very clear that it's through daily actions, the more I start growing in them. I still stumble and lose my balance, sometimes I get tired, I get demotivated but I don't take off those shoes because I can't fit into my old ones anymore.

If there is something you want to do and you can't stop thinking about it and how favourable it would be for you, it's time to stop liking the idea of it, step into your big boy or girl shoes and press on.

And if like me you have been trying over and over again to stay consistent with your actions but it's hard, come back next week to read what I think is the reason your big girl (boy) shoes are uncomfortable.