There is a fabulous montage in Bridget Jones’s Diary where Bridget gets so frustrated by the men in her life that she runs off to the gym to cycle off some pounds. Bridget, they’re not worth it.

Pedal to the Metal

Bridget pumps and goes pedal to the metal, sweating up a storm and giving it EVERYTHING she’s got. Of course, she falls over herself in exhaustion by the end of the workout. Literally, she lands flat on her face next to the bike.

Lesson #1: You cannot expect to take on a big project and nail it the first time out.

Lesson #2: Trying to impress other people is not worth it. 

Give Yourself a Pat on the Back

Pedaling as hard as she did, Bridget still wasn’t going anywhere. Odds are you’ve ridden a stationary bike at some time in your life too. There’s no point denying it. Biting off more than you can chew to prove yourself in a world that always wants more can be a knee-jerk response.

Like Bridget, I tend to jump in with the enthusiasm of Wonder Woman but end up pushing myself to exhaustion. When I fail to reach my goals, I feel like an impostor. My ego deflates as a stark reminder. It feels as if I have let down not only myself but anyone who has ever supported me.

Say it with me, that’s irrational! No one can be expected to be all things to all people. The most important thing is to be happy with yourself. Put what others think aside and pedal to the metal for the things that YOU want. That’s the only way to actually move forward.

Room for Improvement

The negative self-talk has to end here and now. Instead of dwelling on what goes wrong, focus on what goes right. To make positive changes in life, approach things with a positive mindset.

That does not mean you’ll always succeed. You’ll fall off that bike more times than you’d like to count. Life is tricky that way. It’s how you approach those setbacks that matters. Life is a journey with lots of rest stops on the way. You don’t have to win the Tour de France.

All you have to do is to pick yourself up and get back on that bike. Go pedal to the metal on your own terms. You’ll get where you want to go in time.