Over the holidays, I had a medical situation that landed me in the emergency room. Twice. To be clear, physically, I’m okay now. But getting back into the rhythm of life after something like that is harder than people talk about.
I didn’t just lose a two weeks. I lost my sense of momentum.
When your body pulls the emergency brake, even temporarily, everything else feels off. Your routines, your confidence, and your sense of forward motion are all a hot mess. Suddenly, the things you want to do, the things you care about, feel heavier than they did before.
I know this feeling is familiar to many of you. You get sick, injured, exhausted, or emotionally overwhelmed. After the crisis passes, the “getting back to it” part doesn’t happen automatically.
I believe deeply that action creates motivation, and motivation doesn’t create action. But I also believe there are seasons when action has to look very different than we expect.
Right now, I’m struggling because my body and brain are recalibrating, and they’re not doing it on my preferred timeline. It’s not that I don’t want to progress. It’s not that I don’t know how to progress. I just can’t seem to get myself to move forward.
My instinct is to just push through. But, this isn’t about willpower or discipline. I have to recognize that my capacity has temporarily changed and choose actions that meet me where I am.
So, I’m asking a different question: What is the smallest action I can take today that doesn’t require me to feel ready? Some days, that action is work-related, some days it’s simply getting some laundry done. And, some days, it’s stopping earlier than I want to and being okay with it.
In Health Warriors Tribe, we talk a lot about sustainable change. I’m pretty sure this is what that actually looks like in real life — not big dramatic resets or perfect streaks. It’s adjusting, listening, and being kind to myself. I try to remember to treat myself like I would treat a friend, with kindness and grace. So, I’m choosing one doable step and trusting that momentum will rebuild from there.
I don’t have a tidy ending for this because I’m still in the middle of it. But I wanted to share this because if you’re feeling stuck, slow, or frustrated with yourself right now, you’re not alone. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is take a smaller step than your pride wants to take.
Today, my step was writing this. Tomorrow, we’ll see what comes next. And that will have to be enough.