Back when my daughter was learning to ride her bike, we gave her everything she needed. The right bike, a helmet, a safe space, and plenty of coaching. One time, we were with her for two hours, and everything was going great. So we decided to up the ante a bit — we went to a section with a bit of elevation. As soon as she hit the incline and had to push a bit harder, she put her feet down and stopped.
The second she did, I looked at my husband and said, “that’s it. She’s not getting going again.” And she didn’t—at least not for a while. She tried at least 20 times. Couldn’t push off, couldn’t get the balance right. She kept looking at us, like, “Come help me.” My husband started to get up, and I said, “No. She has the strength. She’s just not connecting the dots. And we can’t do that part for her.” So we sat there for a while. She was getting frustrated. After several tries, it finally clicked. And when she pedaled past us, she was grinning. “I did it!”
That moment reminded me — you can have the coaching and the plan. You can learn to ride the bike in the driveway, where it’s flat, where someone’s right there beside you. But at some point, you’ve got to learn how to ride it uphill.
Are you at the bottom of a hill?
A lot of people are at the point my daughter was at. You’ve already been coached and practiced. You know what to do but haven’t quite mastered how to push up the hill.
Now it’s time to do the harder thing: implement all your tools when life isn’t perfect.
For many of you, the hill may be the holidays, or your kids going back to school, or getting through the summer with all the activities and having the kids around.
Whatever that hill is for you, there’s always a variation of once we get through this hard bit, it’ll be fine.
The thing is, life is this bit as much as it is the next one and the one before. You don’t want to wish all of these moments away.
We can coach you all day long. But if you can’t shake the mentality that another time will be better for your plan, you won’t move forward. You’ve got to take what you already know—and use it now. Not when conditions change.
Let’s talk about what’s actually getting in the way
Before we get into Lie #1, I just want to give you a quick heads-up.
You’re probably not going to like hearing it. Any time we talk about lies we believe, it’s uncomfortable because these don’t feel like lies to you. They’ve been repeated so many times in your head — or even in our culture — that they feel reasonable. Familiar. Just “how things are.” So when I start to challenge them, your brain might get a little defensive. Trust me—I’ve done the same thing.
Ask yourself: What if this thing I’ve always believed doesn’t actually have to be true?
Lie #1: “I just need to get back into a routine.”
This one comes up over the summer, when the kids’ activities change, when there’s family visiting… you get the point.
And I always think—Why? Why do you need a routine to stop eating junk or to choose grilled chicken over a hamburger? You don’t. You’re just used to having structure carry you—so now, when you don’t have it, you tell yourself you can’t make good decisions. But that’s not true.
The real translation is: “I can’t make good choices until my schedule is more structured.”
Routines are helpful, OF COURSE. I LOVE having a solid routine about as much as anyone. But they’re not required. If you spend your whole summer missing your school year routine, you aren’t being present and enjoying the season you ARE in. You can STILL absolutely live a healthy and happy life in the summer.
A routine doesn’t create your standards. You do.
Just like London has to learn to ride her bike on BIGGER hills and even DOWNHILL, you should learn to “ride your bike” in all settings too. It makes you a better bike rider. You can’t stay in your safe driveway forever.
Lie #2: “I just need a better setup.”
Translation: “I’m waiting for perfect conditions before I start.”
One of my kids leans toward this type. He wants everything just right before he takes action. The right clothes, the gear all lined up.
Any time I ask why he’s not out in the yard practicing his shoot, he’ll say it’s too muddy, or the ball is too bouncy, or the net is worn out. You get the point.
There’s always a reason not to practice.
I can’t tell you how many times I have said something like “Pelé learned to play with a grapefruit. Not because it was ideal. Because it was available. He didn’t wait. If you have the will to do something, you will find a way to do it in any conditions.” He LOVES this lecture (lol), but it does the trick and gets him back out there.
It’s tied to entitlement. These conditions are not up to par for ME. When you hear yourself complain about something, chances are you feel entitled to have that thing. Nobody is entitled to anything. If you want something better, go earn it. Create it. Get out there and work on the yard to make it the perfect practice place for you, or leave it alone and spend your energy putting in the work.
If you’re waiting for better tools, more gear, a cleaner kitchen, a new schedule — what you’re really doing is putting off the reps.
In the end, results come not from the perfect set up but from the consistency you put in. You can get so much done in the space that you were using to talk about WHY YOU CAN’T GET THAT THING DONE.
Lie #3: “Once life slows down, I’ll start.”
Translation: “Now isn’t the right time.”
This one sounds reasonable, but it’s the easiest way to stay stuck. There’s always something—work, travel, school schedules, birthdays, appointments. Life doesn’t slow down. It just swaps one kind of chaos for another.
So when you say, “Once things settle down, I’ll get back to it,” what you’re really saying is, “I only take care of myself when it’s convenient.”
Sure, some people may have conveniences like personal chefs and assistants. But plenty of people build up from a similar space to where you are. They create better conditions by showing up from the beginning.
Jeff Bezos didn’t launch Amazon from a luxury office. He started in his parents’ garage. That $50 million wedding is not where he began. That’s what years of reps built.
Your life doesn’t slow down and then you start.
You start when it’s messy and chaotic. And you grow. And as you grow, you gain options, support, and can create better conditions by proving you’ll show up without them.
Without follow-through, the best plan, coach or intentions won’t mean anything
Progress doesn’t come from information. It comes from action. Not perfect action. Just consistent action.
You don’t need a routine, a better setup, or life to calm down. You just need to do what you already know. And if you don’t know what to do yet, get in touch. At MYLF Coaching, we’re here to teach you to make informed decisions for your health and wellness. You learn to eat, move, and think to build how you want to feel.
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