Do More By Doing Less
BY BETHANY HEITMAN
Over the years, my therapist has said a number of enlightening and helpful things. But recently, she gave me advice that has radically changed the way I think—for the better. Here’s what she said: “Buy the pre-cut vegetables, they are made for people like you.”
Okay, I know it sounds silly—so, let me give you a bit more context. Like many other people, my life is B-U-S-Y. I work about 50 hours a week as a writer and editor. On top of that, my husband and I are almost always starting a new home improvement project. Oh, and I have a cute French Bulldog who demands almost as much attention as my even cuter 16-month-old daughter.
Photo by @Dro
On the day my therapist gave me this advice, I was complaining that I had just dumped a ton of rotting fruits and veggies into the trash. Every week, I'd go grocery shopping with the intention of cooking myself healthy, nutritious meals after putting my daughter to bed. Dark, leafy green spinach, deep purple beets, mangoes—you name it, I bought it. But when it finally came time to cook, I was exhausted after a long day of juggling all of my responsibilities and couldn’t wrap my head around washing and chopping a bunch of veggies. So, my produce drawer would stay closed and my food delivery app would open.
The end result was that I made unhealthy food choices that made me feel sluggish—plus, I’d beat myself up for wasting money buying groceries only to toss them out. So, why wasn’t I buying the pre-cut veggies in the first place? I’ve always been an all or nothing type of girl. In general, I don't believe in shortcuts and thought there was no need to spend the extra money on prepared produce when I could do it myself.
After my therapist said this to me, I decided to buy the pre-cut veggies. And guess what? Suddenly, throwing together a quick, nutritious stir fry or a veggie-packed egg white omelet was actually easier (and faster!) than ordering from the diner in town.
Photo by @Dro
Thrilled with how this concept of doing less actually helped me do more, I decided to try and apply it to other areas of my life. Next up: Working out.
Like healthy eating, my exercise routine had taken a serious hit after becoming a mom. Before getting pregnant, I had worked out 5 to 6 days a week for at least an hour. High intensity spin classes, long runs, energetic dance classes—the more intense the workout, the more accomplished I felt. So, when I got the sign off from my doctor that my body had recovered enough from my c-section, I began setting my alarm for 6 a.m. with the intention that I’d get up before my daughter and squeeze in at least 45-minutes of serious cardio.
Fast-forward over a year later and I had managed to climb out of bed only a handful of times. My alarm would go off and I just couldn’t bring myself to commit to a long workout. So, I began to apply the pre-cut veggie thinking to my exercise routine. Rather than trying to force myself to do an hour-long, punishing workout, I told myself that I just need to fit in 20-minutes of movement. Some days that meant yoga, other days it involved lifting weights and others it meant going for a brisk walk around my hilly neighborhood.
I went from never working out to exercising almost daily—all because I gave myself permission to do less. And a funny thing happened along the way. Slowly but surely, I began working back up to longer workouts. As I returned to these healthy habits, they no longer seemed quite as overwhelming as they once were. I may never go back to chopping my own pineapple again, but I’ve already started incorporating some hour-long workouts into my routine.
Interested in finding a few shortcuts that could pay off for you? Try writing down an area or two that you struggle with. Maybe you're like me and it’s eating healthfully and working out regularly—or perhaps for you it’s keeping up with household chores or the fact that you never seem to be able to make time for reading those books you really want to read. Now, think about some shortcuts that could help you actually accomplish the things you want to. It could be as simple as investing in one of those vacuum cleaners that clean the floor on their own or giving yourself permission to listen to the audiobook version of that novel you’ve had on your nightstand forever. And, remember, just because you are taking a shortcut now, doesn’t mean you have to do it forever.
Bethany Heitman, Contributor
P.S. Remember that no matter what you're going through right now, you don't have to do it alone! There are others like you in our community, where we interact on a daily basis, fight our demons, share our victories, and watch over each other as friends and accountability partners.
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