Welcome to the Small Steps Podcast. I'm your host, Amy Sue. I'm a nutritional therapy practitioner, blogger at Small Eats, author of Not at My Dask Lunch, designer, and avid learner. In my nutrition practice, I help you cut through the health and wellness noise to find what works for you.
This podcast is here to educate, inspire, and empower you to grow, try new things, and live a life you truly feel good about one small step at a time. Each episode has small steps that you can try and see how they work for you. You can find all the show notes, small steps, and other episodes at small-eats.com slash podcast. Remember, the materials and content within this podcast are intended as general information only.
Consider the substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Hello, hello, welcome back to another episode of the Small Steps Podcast. I am so glad you are here. If you enjoy the show, please consider giving a rating and reviewing iTunes and sharing with somebody you love, especially if the rest of you need it.
Also, just a reminder that this is maybe a kind of a little bit close, but my enamel pin, health care, is even right. It's still for sale and can be an awesome gift, whether that is for December or January or whenever. You can check it out at small-eats.com slash shop and $2 of every sale goes to the ACLU and the El Hammer Fund. This is episode 66 and it is actually the last podcast of 2019.
I have decided since this year, Wednesday is the 25th and that is also a week when a lot of people will be celebrating a lot of holidays or being with family. I have decided to give myself a motherfucking break and I'm sure that no one is very sad about that because we've probably all got a lot of stuff going on. So this is going to be the last podcast of 2019. So I hope that you have one full time whenever you're listening to this.
If it is in 2019, if it is in semi-real time or maybe it's after and it's the week of the holidays, I hope you have a great holiday week, holiday time. Hope that you celebrate in whatever ways that you want, including not celebrating and that you're with the people that you love and care about and are doing what you want to and what you need to do for you. So that is my wish for you for the rest of 2019. And I want to let you know now that in January, the show will adjust a little bit just for January.
So the usual show if you're new to the show is I alternate solo shows with guest interviews. So one week there's a solo show, next week there's a guest, next week there's a solo show and so on and so forth. All of January is going to be a very specific solo show series. It's all going to be about checking in with you and setting intentions ideally for 2020, but honestly for like really any fucking time that you want.
A lot of times people are talking resolutions and all that stuff and while I think that it can be helpful at the start of whatever you would like, which is it's the next day, it's 5 p.m., it's Monday, it's Tuesday, maybe it's January, maybe it's the middle of March. Whenever you would like to, I think that it's helpful to get really clear with what you actually want to do in order to set your intentions, especially around January, January is like Christmas time for diet culture, like second Christmas or whatever. And oftentimes people will talk about how to set resolutions and how to make them like I know I fucking written those both before and talked about it. And I think it's really helpful to get clear on what you want to do and how you want to do it before you jump into resolutions or like intentions or anything because quite often we realize very later or maybe never that the things that we're doing, we're not actually doing them because we want to do them.
We're doing them because it is society acceptable. It's everywhere or this is the only way that we know how to get attention and love. And there's so many other ways to do that. So I wanted to have a whole series that will talk about how to set intentions in a way that's really important and resonant for you and the life that you lead because it is different than my life and it's different than the person next to you's life.
And that's totally great. And so figuring out how you can get clear of what's helpful and supportive for you is what I want to focus on all of January. So they'll be like, I'm not exactly sure yet. I haven't recorded all of them yet, but it's going to be anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes each.
So each week they will be a small step of setting that intention, talking about the part of the process. And then there's going to be a worksheet with some questions if you can consider because you know, if you listen to the show, I ask a fair amount of questions and things like that. So I'm going to turn that into a worksheet that you can download on the website, small-eats.com, where the show notes are. And then you can work through that either in real time or whenever the series really resonates with you.
I think if you're really overwhelmed by setting intentions or the thought of figuring out how to set ones that really work for you or figuring out how to follow through or figuring out if you even need them at all, I think the series will be really, really helpful for you and give you some clarity on how you can figure out how to move forward. So that's going to be happening in January. So there won't be any guest interviews in January at all. It'll just be me talking to you.
And you can go back and listen to those at any time. Maybe you just listen to it now and just kind of wrap your head around the process and when you feel like you're ready to do it, you can do it at any time. Like just because I'm doing it in January definitely does not mean that you also need to do it in January. Some people just like to have that refocus.
Also, we've been culturally conditioned to think about January at the time and which should be what, and honestly, January is still dead in the middle of winter. And if you still really want to hibernate and chill and process all the things that happen in 2019, that's totally fucking valid and do whatever it works for you. So if you want to wait until spring, if you want to wait until next year, if you want to wait until whenever the hell, cool, go for it. So the guest interviews will be returning in February and so they'll be back to the solo show guest format.
So I wanted to give you a heads up on that one that there's not going to be a podcast on Christmas Day because it's Christmas Day. And then that January, we're going to have the series talking about how to send tensions, breaking those down as small steps and having worksheets to work on. Questions, if that is interesting to you. So back to this show, episode 66.
This is building on episode 65, which was about reflecting on the year or any period of time that resonates with you. So if you didn't do that, I think that's fine. But if you did do that, this will be a really helpful thing to build on because we talked about reflecting and thinking about stuff. And now I'm inviting you to review that time, maybe that you reflected on or thinking about something else and actually celebrate the steps that you have taken.
So I think it's important to review stuff to get clear on things that work, things that didn't work, things that were helpful, and then take it one step further and celebrate. So why is celebrating so important? Like I mentioned in the last show, because we're so focused on doing the next thing, we often forget that we take small steps that lead to bigger things and that those bigger things even happen, or we're still in the middle of unlearning that that big reveal or that movie montage or whatever has to be so noticeable. And when it's not, we're like, oh, well, I guess I didn't mean anything.
And we kind of like sweep all that stuff that we did under the rug. Giving yourself a pat on the back for the things that you've done and how you've shown it for yourself is really fucking important. Like, please, please be your own hype person. That is definitely something I am learning to do.
And it can be really hard to see in the moment. Like having that space to reflect oftentimes for me and for my clients, it's like, oh, yeah. Yeah, that's right. I did do all that stuff.
I did take all these small steps. And that's really fucking cool. It shows you that you are doing the work, you are powerful, you are doing positive things for yourself, you are taking care of yourself, all the things that you think that you might not be doing. You actually are doing them.
And so by having that moment, we take that one step further, we reflect and then we celebrate because celebrating is really fucking important because doing this work in ways that feel really supportive and affirming to us, that's how the work gets done. I've mentioned on the show before, doing this work out of shame or guilt or anger, usually doesn't work. It doesn't last very long. Like, it can motivate you to a point like motivate and heavy air quotes, but then it usually falls off the bus because that's not libertarian, that's not supportive, that's not life giving.
And really, if we want to live the lives that we want, usually we want to do that in a really helpful and supportive and healing and magical way for ourselves. Yes, knowing that there is always going to be stuff that's not the best or the greatest, but knowing that we want to live a life that is positive and celebratory and magical and all the things. So celebrating is really, really fucking important, especially in this day to end. Like, you can so easily turn on the news, look to five channels and be instantly gutted and really sad and upset and enraged the more that we can focus on the positive things that are happening and celebrating those things, no matter how big or small, the more we're going to keep it going.
All right. So you may know the small steps that you've been taking and you may recall them pretty easily or you may be like, well, shit, I don't know. I don't know if I made any small steps or maybe you list like one or two and you're like, yeah, you know, that's it. That's all the shit that I've done.
I really only done this and I've done nothing else. And I think you've probably done more than you thought. So if you are not sure exactly how to determine the small steps that you have taken, here are some helpful things. So one, choose a period of time to look at that can be a week, a month, several months, whenever you feel like it's relevant to you or the things that you can remember.
Pick a specific area that you've probably been focusing on. That could be your nutrition, your mental health, your fitness or movements, any other form of healthcare or any kind of other area that you know that you've been focusing on outside of that. And you can look at any goals or intentions that you've been working on. So if you know you've had a very specific goal, write those down.
Think about the things that you've done, accomplished or shifted within that time period, within those specific areas, within that goals and intentions and know that those things could have been something that you did once or these could have been things that you did over and over and over again for a week, a few weeks, a month, maybe you're still doing them right now. Write down as many as you can remember and please don't edit yourself. They can be big, they can be small, they can feel like, oh yeah, that's not really right it down. Write it all down.
It's all very important. And take a moment, after you write all those things down, as many as you can, without centering yourself, take a moment to really, really look at them, to really look at them and if you wrote this down, read them or if you talked it out in a voice memo app, like listen to them again, like really take a moment and recognize that these small steps take work and that you've taken them and that you are taking them. Like I said before, we don't give ourselves that time and that space and when we do, we're like, oh yeah, I am a fucking badass. That's where you are a fucking badass.
And so when you give yourself that time, you remember that you're fucking badass. And so once you remember that, what are you going to do to celebrate those things? So choose a way to celebrate that is meaningful for you. Maybe there are ways that people traditionally celebrate, you're like, that's not really celebrating for me.
So take something that's really resonating for you. That could be sharing this with a loved one or loved ones or sharing this with someone that you know has watched you go through this. Maybe that's your therapist, a friend, a mentor, someone that would really see that this is really, really important and really a big fucking thing for you. Go somewhere that you enjoy to market the occasion.
That could be literally anywhere you like to go. Maybe that's a restaurant, maybe that's a park, maybe that's a roller rink, maybe that's a pottery studio, like whatever place that you like to go to do something and like mark the occasion and celebrate and that's accessible to you, consider going there. Do something fun, maybe that you don't do super often. To really like tie it, like, yeah, I'm celebrating and I'm doing something fun that I really enjoy.
Take some time out for you because the more that you are filled up and have the celebratory moments, the more that you can keep doing the work that you want to do. And if none of those resonate for you, any other thing or action that feels celebratory and positive for you. So you get to define at all times what this means and I think that the more that you do those things, even if it's just like, review hours or one night or maybe, maybe what's the most celebratory for you is celebrating every day or every week or every month. Like, as often as you want to celebrate, celebrate, you don't just have to do this one time of year or one time a month.
Like, if you realize that like, oh yeah, like, I feel the most motivated and the most type when I celebrate all the time, go for it. Whatever is super supportive for you. And if celebrating is really hard or uncomfortable or feels very unnatural to you, maybe you're also working through some programming or some stories or narratives around like not drawing too much attention to yourself or not celebrating or like, that's too ostentatious or showy or raggedocious or arrogant or whatever. Like, that's okay.
Start small. Maybe it is just doing one small thing. Maybe once, maybe twice. Also remember like the more that you celebrate, the less uncomfortable it will feel.
Maybe you need to at a different time, maybe with a professional or maybe just with your journal or with someone that you trust, getting to the bottom of like, why does that feel uncomfortable? What are those messages that might be helpful for you to step away from and unlearn and move towards feeling more okay celebrating? So you're able to really celebrate and be proud of you. And knowing that that's not arrogant or that's not raggedocious, you know, like you're allowed to celebrate you.
If you don't celebrate you, who's going to celebrate you? If nobody knows that you're doing like, besides your birthday, no one's going to know that you did something awesome unless you tell them, right? And I don't think it's a thing in which you should then tell people expecting that people celebrate you like that's a different dynamic that could be something to look at or work on and be like, why do I need people to celebrate me? Like that could be something that could not be very helpful for you, but I think it's important to share stuff with other people so that they can really see and recognize the work that you've done, not in a way that you feel like you're dependent on them for validation, but to validate yourself first and also to share your successes because the people in your life that love you and support you want to celebrate you and they want you to celebrate you too.
Because the more that you're like, I don't know, like it's not a big deal. Yes, it is a big deal. If you have done this thing, if you put in the time, if you put in the hours, celebrate it in whatever way feels good for you because not the whole life's too short shift, but I think it's important to give yourself the hype and attention and love that you need. People aren't going to give it to you if you don't provide it for you yourself because also like people could be celebrating you and if you're so uncomfortable, you're not really going to be able to receive it.
You're not really going to be able to integrate it and really hold it and accept it and put it in your hands and feel it if you can't take it in. So figure out how you can receive it and hold it for yourself so that it can be easier to hold it or receive from other people. Smoking from someone who it is still difficult to receive lots of praise because it feels weird and unnatural. So also know that you're not alone in that at all if that is something that you are working through.
I want to keep the show a little bit shorter so that you can really get to celebrating the small steps that you want to celebrate and really focusing on that because that's the really important thing. And if you're listening to this in real time and you've got a lot of stuff going on with the holidays or whatever, want you to get to what you're doing, but I think it would be important. So the small steps portion of the show, think on what you want to recap. Again, thinking about that period of time, that specific area of focusing your life and door goals and intentions that you've set, write out all the small steps that you have done or are doing around this specific thing or around this period of time and take a moment to reflect and feel proud and find a meaningful way for you to celebrate.
And as always, lots of kindness and compassion. If you feel a lot of weird feelings coming up around feeling strange about celebrating or feeling kind of raggedoches or if there are any weird feels that come up, like, no, that it's okay that those weird feels come up and that the more that you feel better about celebrating and the more that you maybe work through the things that make feel strange or weird, that the easier it's going to be to keep celebrating in the future. Also, I would ask you to consider celebrating more than once because this is not a thing that you just check off your list and move on with the rest of your life and never have to check this off a bucket list and be like, all right, I celebrate once and cool. All celebrations, maybe you do this once a month, once a quarter, every other week, like, figure out how to build in more celebration and fun and join your life.
That's really going to keep the shit going, really. If you're excited and you're celebrating, you're like, yeah, I want to keep being excited and celebrating. Therefore, I'm going to keep doing the things that make me feel good and that support me and that make me feel better in my body and better in all the ways. Like, it's a supportive, ongoing, rolling train that's going on.
So that is it for this week's show. I want to say thank you so much for listening to the show. If this is the first episode you listen to, if you've only listened to a few, if you have been listening since day one, thank you so much for listening to the show. It means so much to me that you down the show, that you listen, that you consider any of the things that I'm talking about.
It means so much. I appreciate the support so, so much. If you're listening to this in semi-real time, I hope that you have a safe and joyous holiday or rest of the year with the people that you love and care about and that you do the things that are super supportive for you. Whatever that looks like and whatever that means, even if that doesn't mean the societal norms that we've all been conditioned to, as long as you're doing what works for you and that support have been helpful for you, I wish you all of the best.
Remember that there is no episode, I'm speaking that this is the last episode of 2019, but I will see you again in 2020 with the Intention series that will run all through January so that we'll be five episodes and that we will return in February with guest interviews and with solo shows that are just encapsulated in that one episode. And yeah, I hope you have a great rest of the year and remember, you can do this one small step at a time. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the Small Steps podcast. Please take a minute to subscribe, take the latest episodes and updates on the show.
If you love this episode, please rate and review it so it can be seen by other people and get higher in those rankings. And if you think this will resonate with someone else, please share it with them and let them know about it. And as always, until next week, you can do it one small step at a time.