Progress over perfection, and 7 other lessons I learned to support a healthier lifestyle
After enjoying Peloton instructor Emma Lovewell's book Live Learn Lovewell, I am sharing the most encouraging lessons I took away and how you can apply them to your own life.
If you’re striving to live a healthier life, but need a bit of encouragement along the way, this blog is for you! After reading
’s impactful memoir, Live Learn Lovewell: Lessons from a life of progress not perfection, I’m sharing my top takeaways to help you show up as the best version of yourself. and I share a similar passion for wanting to help others feel good in their bodies and live their best lives. As a Peloton instructor and health & wellness expert, her stories on food, fitness, family, and life were both enjoyable and informative. Now, I want to share my top eight takeaways with you, so you too can feel inspired on your journey to living a healthier lifestyle.Lesson 1: Support the best version of you
Choosing to live a healthy life is not so that you can be a certain size in your jeans or look a certain way, but it is about how you feel and what it enables you to do with the added energy. With so many wonderful goals and dreams, you need the energy and fuel to achieve them. Emma Lovewell’s book emphasized how wellness touches on “movement, good food, meditation, friendship, love, dancing, standing up for what you believe in”1, and even “being deliberate about what you choose to bring into your life.” I share this with you not as an exhaustive to-do list, but as a reminder that being healthy touches every area of your life. Making good choices to show up for the best version of you is what will help you reach your goals and allow you to fully live out the life you were created for. What is one area of your life that you want to improve on to support the best version of you?
Lesson 2: Enjoy the process of growing
Starting something from scratch, whether a new project, goal, or job - it can be frustrating. Seeing only a little progress or change in the beginning can be discouraging. As a fellow gardener, Emma Lovewell reminded me that “growing takes time.” Your role at the start of something new is to show up consistently with effort and care. It can be satisfying to watch something grow - fully embrace the gratification of it and see where it continues to go. Remember that every small change is still a change. If you can show up with patience and kindness to yourself through the process of growth, you can learn what you need to get to that next point. Before you know it, flourishing will happen! What’s a small change in your life that you can celebrate right now?
Lesson 3: Give yourself grace as you learn
Perfection is something most, if not all of us struggle with at some point or another. There is nothing wrong with striving to do a job well done, but when you allow perfect to be the enemy of the good, no imperfect project completed or goal achieved will be satisfying. If you can let go of the idea of perfection, you will be able to experience more joy knowing you did something to the best of your abilities and it turned out good. Whether you are cooking a new recipe or trying out a new workout class, don’t worry about it being perfect. Instead, be glad that you tried something new and are learning how to do it. Over time, you will continue to sharpen your craft and get even better.
Lesson 4: Adaptation leads to resiliency
Just as plants adapt based on their current environment, so do people. If you don’t have something that you need, you will be forced to stretch and grow in a different way to get what you need. You will also see this as I share recipes - if you don’t have a certain ingredient, that’s okay! Instead, you can adapt or shift something to make it work for you. Oftentimes, the recipe will turn out well, and you might even discover something new that you really love. Allow different experiences and opportunities to push you, so you can grow stronger and more resilient. Emma Lovewell mentions the importance of a commitment to “learning about yourself” so you can figure out what nourishes you well.
Lesson 5: Let your passions lead the way
Each of us has at least one thing, or maybe multiple things we are passionate about. These are often the things we can talk about for hours or spend time doing without even noticing the time pass. Passions are such a gift because they “help you focus on the present while leaving any other stresses behind.” It is actually fascinating how something we enjoy like exercising, reading, gardening, cooking, sewing, or biking can engage us both mentally and physically. I encourage you to carve out a little bit of each day or each week to do something you love, that brings you joy. Not only will this support your mental health, but also your physical health. It’s important that we find time in the busyness to both rest and enjoy this life we were given. It’s also why I share my tips with you each week to make your week of healthy meals as easy as possible. I don’t want you to have to spend more time in the kitchen than necessary.
Lesson 6: You have the power to shift your mindset
You have the ability to control your thoughts, to shift your mindset to how you want to live. The only thing stopping you is you! A mindset that many of us struggle with is scarcity and anxiety about the future. It is completely normal and understandable with so many unknowns of life. But, over time, this can absolutely drain all of your energy. Study upon study has shown the importance of gratitude and how it can help you to shift into a more positive mindset. Focusing on the abundance and good that you already have in your life allows you to realize all the greatness that already makes up your life. Keep focusing on the good, and you will begin to notice more of the good in your life. What’s one good thing you are thankful for today?
Lesson 7: Positive change comes from love
If you are wanting to produce positive change, such as improving your fitness level, achieving a new skill or shifting your mindset, you must meet yourself with love and kindness. Not only will loving yourself well support your own goals, but it will also help you love other people better. The less critical and judgmental we are with ourselves, the more space we have for kind and encouraging thoughts. Emma also emphasized the importance of loving your body for what it does - “it carries you through this world” and enables you to do all of the wonderful things you enjoy. Whether it’s spending time with friends, caring for your family, being outside, or starting a new business, your body shows up for you in all of those scenarios. A great way to show up for yourself is to provide your body with nourishing, wholesome ingredients that will continue to fuel it well.
Lesson 8: Progress is more important than perfection
To round out with lesson number eight and the key theme of the book: progress is more important than perfection. According to Emma Lovewell “Perfection is an ending, while progress is a lifelong pursuit.” We have so much more life to live! Some of the most beautiful parts of life are the unknown, the chaos, the busy, and the spontaneous. I encourage you to embrace every experience as an adventure, you never know what this beautiful life has in store for you.
Support and encouragement for a healthier life
While none of these concepts are novel or unusual, this book was full of beautiful reminders of how to live your life with a more positive outlook. From embracing progress, growth, and change, you will be able to show up as a better version of you. When developing Grace & Greens, it was and still is important to me that you understood the positive impact making healthy choices can have on every area of life. It is far more than just the foods you eat, but how you move, the way you show up, the way you speak to yourself, and more. Living a healthy lifestyle is about making choices that support you in feeling good, so you can show up both for yourself and all of the wonderful people in your life. I don’t want you to have to compromise on feeling anything less than nourished and energized, so you can flourish in the beauty of life.
Food is just one of the physical ways we can love our bodies well and I don’t want you to have to compromise because you are limited on time and mental space. Consider following my weekly meal plan or trying out a new recipe so you can continue to nourish yourself.
Which lesson do you want to apply more to your own life?
After reading these lessons, what is one that you want to apply to your own life more? Reply to this and let me know, I would love to hear from you!
I hope you enjoyed this week’s wellness blog. If you want to check out more of my work on healthy habits and wellness strategies, you can do that here.
To continue to support the best version of you, be on the lookout for this Saturday’s grocery guide - packed with delicious recipes, a weekly meal plan, and a grocery list so you can save time and live healthy.
Best,
Grace Barker
P.S. I hope you enjoyed these learnings from my recent read. If you liked this blog, please consider sharing it with someone who is interested in living a healthier life. Your recommendation with a friend or family member means the world to me, and I am sure that it would mean a lot to them too!
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All quotes from Live Learn Lovewell by Emma Lovewell, copyright © 2023