How to Stop the “Pendulum Effect.”
Have you ever tried to change something in your life, only to give up weeks (or maybe even days!) later? In this post, I’m diving into something I call “pendulum swinging”… and how to STOP it.
I'm willing to bet that, at some point, you've wanted to change something in your life… and you've gone ALL IN, right? Maybe you changed your diet, and chose a pace that was unsustainable. Or, you read a book about organization, and wildly thanked your items that no longer spark joy… only to stop two days later, exhausted, with 4 bags of things you might want to donate… (Or, should check one more time? Just to be sure?)
Recently my friend and I have been talking about this — this very human nature struggle with growth that often leads to “swinging the pendulum.” (I also call this the “yo-yo effect.”)
This is how Pendulum Swinging goes:
You're all excited 🤩, ready for this new change…
You ride that “high” for a few days…
Life happens. And it's messy. 😬 You aren't consistent.
UGH. Reality sets in, and you feel like a TOTAL failure.
Now you're in the DEPTHS of despair, and it may take days (or weeks!) to dig yourself out of the hole. 😩
Once you're ready to try again, you hype yourself up, find a new “method” and start this cycle all over again.
Your desire to change is a gift, and a sign that you're ready to grow! But if you “swing the pendulum” too far in one direction, it usually doesn't end well. (I speak from experience.)
Instead of trying to change EVERYTHING, All At Once… Treat your growth like a grand experiment — and just TRY something. It doesn't have to be big. It doesn't have to be perfect. Your only job is to NOTICE what happens. 😌
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