The “Good, Better, Best” Mindset

Have you been beating yourself up because you don’t think you’re doing your “best” in this season? Let’s chat about that and bring you a little freedom today.

If I could go back to the day I made the decision to live a healthier lifestyle, I would tell myself exactly what I’m about to tell you.

When we get started on a journey like this, it can be extremely overwhelming. When we look around, it seems like everything has to change. Too much change all at once is overwhelming, and let’s be honest…impossible. But when we make changes one choice at a time, consistently, we see lasting results!

So, as you begin your journey (or maybe you find yourself on a journey already but feel stuck), here are my best words of advice.

1. Don’t try to change everything at once.

2. Develop what I call the “Good, Better, Best” mindset.

What is the “Good, Better, Best” mindset? Great question! When you are researching the choices you need to make, you need to take into account if you are in the “Good” season, the “Better” season, or the “Best” season.

The “Good” season is when you financially may not be able to invest as much as you would like, but you know you need to make a change. This is a “stepping” stone season, if you will. So for example, in the “Good” season, you might find yourself at McDonald’s because that was all you could eat for the day. That’s okay! Your choices here are to splurge on that Big Mac and the milkshake, or you can honor your decision to make a change, and you can “step up” to the “Good” choice, and maybe order a chicken sandwich and some apple slices. You’re still at McDonald’s, you’re still taking care of your body, and you have now made a “Good” choice. There you go! You did it! This also applies to any area of wellness you step into. So for example, when I started looking at the ingredients in my food, I was overwhelmed by all the ultra-processed ingredients. I wanted to throw it all in the trash and start over (and I could have!), but I knew my family was in the “Good” season and couldn’t afford to just throw food away. I decided instead to slowly start replacing the things I was eating for better versions. And you know what? Sometimes I still have to go back and eat that old version of something, and that’s okay!

As I grew in knowledge about food, I entered a “Better” season. In the “Better” season you learn and grow even more and you begin to realize there are better options out there for you. Maybe you’re still not financially in a “Best” season, but you’re starting to see the value of “Best”, so now you’re ready to buy “Better.” In our McDonald’s example, let’s say you stop and evaluate if you really need to eat at McDonald’s. Maybe you can stretch it out until you get home. Maybe you have some nuts or a protein bar in your bag and that could tie you over until you get home and can eat something healthier. Or maybe you just need to eat and move on. There’s so much freedom and grace for this process. Eventually, you might find yourself shifting into a “Best” season, and the “Good” and “Better” seasons will have been stepping stones to get there. The skills you learn and the mindsets you build within these seasons prepare you for the “Best” season. They will help you sustain the new season and help you fully enjoy and be satisfied no matter what season you are in!

The “Best” season also does not mean you have all the money in the world and you can buy everything you want to achieve your wellness goals. It could mean that, but it also could mean you’ve now learned the value of your health and your dollar and you’re in the investment season for your health. In the McDonald’s scenario, this might look like realizing there’s a grocery store nearby with some deli chicken and a salad you could run and grab quickly instead. Now you’ve taken care of yourself, you’ve avoided a potentially unhealthy meal, AND you’ve saved a little bit of money because you didn’t go to an expensive healthy fast food place. Or maybe your “Best” season looks like finally getting (or choosing) to eat at that healthy fast food place!

That’s the beauty of these seasons and this journey. Only YOU can decide what your season is and where you’re at and how much you want to sacrifice to get where you want to be. I’m not here to decide that for you–that’s what you get to decide!

I often wish I could go back to that first day when I knew it was time to make a change and tell myself that it’s okay not to do it all at once, and it’s okay to not always be in the “Best” season. I wish I could tell myself that I don’t have to be all or nothing…I can make “Good” and “Better” choices, which eventually will lead me to that “Best” choice anyways! And there’s always grace if I need to go “down” a season. There is no judgment…for myself or for others!

Now, I will also say, there’s still a level of pushing/discomfort we all have to go through when we are making any size change. It will not always feel comfortable at first. We may have to work through it. It may not feel intuitive…it might feel crazy. But that’s just what your body and your mind are used to. If you’ve been in a warm bath and you get out, your body is going to freak out because now it’s cold. But your mind knows that you have to be cold for just a second until you can get that towel and get dressed. There’s a little window between the decision and the actual change where it gets a little cold…a little messy. But just remind yourself that it will be worth it!

What season do you find yourself in? Good, better, or best? What’s one change (the smaller to start, the better!) you can make THIS WEEK that will be a stepping stone to the bigger change you want to see?

Be well!
~Nikki