The Important Question That Helps Me Get Through Difficult Moments
I ask myself this, without fail, every time.
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Presented by AG1:
“What’s the goal?”
It’s a question that I ask myself often. Whether I’m chatting with a girlfriend about a struggle she’s having with her partner or navigating an intricate situation with work — I try to start at the end. Ask: “What is it that we want to accomplish here?” And then, work backward.
For instance: Say you’re having a rough time with your morning workout routine. You keep making excuses to show up, and you can’t find your footing. So, ask: “What’s the goal here?” For most, a morning workout has a few perks: Get the endorphins and sweat in early, sure. Also: Reap the productivity and full-body benefits.
Knowing that the goal is to make it happen and accomplish those outcomes above, ask yourself: “What’s one thing I can do to make this easier on me?” In this instance: Perhaps it’s removing the potential decision fatigue. Lay out your clothes the night before, have a plan for exactly what workout you want to do, and bonus points for involving an accountability buddy — whether that’s IRL or simply over text once you’re awake.
The first time I hear about this “What’s the goal?” approach, I was sitting with my cousin at a bar in Murray Hill (IYKYK). I was navigating a tough situation at work, and I was feeling pretty reactionary. He asked me “what’s the goal here?” — and then elaborated. He told me that by thinking about what I want out of a situation, I may have a more clear, rational way of attacking things. (He was right.)
Most recently, I asked myself this on a training run that wasn’t going as I’d hoped. The miles felt sticky and hard. Heck, I felt sticky, too. I realized as I started to feel the frustration building that my only real goal was to complete them. Stopped, feeling defeated on the West Side Highway, I came back to that question: “What’s the goal?”
… I released the emotions surrounding how I wanted it to feel, and I let it just … be. I broke it up into smaller doables: Running for 20 minutes, taking a 2-minute break. Running for 20 minutes, taking a 2-minute break. By taking a step back and doing a gut check, I was able to actually accomplish my goal instead of letting my frustrations get the best of me.
Try it, yeah? Ask yourself: “What’s the goal here?” Then come back here and let me know how it works for you, too.
Keep hurdling,
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
Gear I’m Loving: Left On Friday Throwback Bottom
I’m currently on a brand trip with Left on Friday, a swim and activewear brand that I discovered earlier this year when visiting Toronto. LOF had a pop-up there, and I was immediately drawn to their styles because they’re made with an active lifestyle in mind (read: Great for curves). The Throwback Bottom is high-waist, high-leg style, which is my ideal shape — and I can say with confidence that it doesn’t roll down or budge. No wonder why the Canadian Women's beach volleyball team opted to wear this brand at the Olympics. I chose this style in a beautiful forest green, wore it today, and I’m giddy over it.
Listen I’m Loving: The Money With Katie Show
If you’re not listening to this, start. Seriously, you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone else that makes talking about finances feel this un-complicated.
Prompt I’m Loving: What’s one thing you want to be the same one year from now? What’s one thing you want to be different?
Quote I’m Loving: “Sometimes you don’t realize the weight of something you’ve been carrying until you feel the weight of its release.” — unknown
Thanks to AG1 — the daily foundational nutrition supplement that supports whole-body health — for supporting Hurdle.
I originally gave AG1 a try years ago because I was tired of taking so many supplements and wanted a single solution that supports my entire body and covers my nutritional bases. I wanted better gut health, a boost (or similar) in energy, immune system support, and also wanted a supplement that actually tastes great. And I can tell you — it checks all of those boxes.
In a recent study, AG1 revealed that participants had the same feelings of energy, focus, and supported digestion that I’ve had using AG1. For example, after 60 days, 91% of participants in a research study noticed they needed less coffee; after 90 days, 97% of study participants felt their digestion improved.
I shake up AG1 every morning after my workout, and truly it makes me feel energized and confident knowing that I’m doing something good for my body by giving it the nutrition I deserve — including 75 whole food-sourced ingredients, prebiotics, probiotics, adaptogens, and superfoods.
If you want to take ownership of your health, it starts with AG1. Try AG1 and get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D3/K2 AND five free AG1 travel packs with your first purchase. Go to drinkAG1.com/hurdle.
It's the confidence in this episode for me. Meet Em Johnson: A proud, multi-hyphenate content creator who has been behind the camera working with some of the top female athletes in sport. In this week's episode, she talks about how she got her start while playing college basketball, channeling her effort into something creative when she wasn't getting the playing time she deserved. The Brooklyn-based creative shares what it was like to be employee No. 2 at TOGETHXR, what it was like for her to transition into working for herself, and how she navigated extreme anxiety and mental health struggles and came out on the other side better. Plus: Her feelings on the lack of other female photographers on popular sidelines, what it's like to work with Breanna Stewart, and what she's looking forward to most in the next few years.
Sarah Reinertsen knows a thing or two about getting things done. The Paralympian is the world's first female amputee to complete the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, and that 2005 hurdle conquered is just one of her lengthy list of accomplishments. In this week's special episode, she talks about how she turned her passions into her profession working in sports marketing at Nike, and she also sheds light on what it takes to keep showing up when times get tough. Plus: Advice for harnessing your own tenacity, and what she hopes the future looks like for other disabled people.
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Another (weekly) Hurdle conquered. Catch you guys next week.
This is such a great reminder - I get so sidetracked by about how I want things to be that I forget about what the goal was in the first place.
Obsessed with that quote you shared this week!