
There’s no denying 2020 has been a doozy of a year. I’ll be honest, I’ve spent most of it in workout clothes, without having actually exercised. Turns out, when you’re in a pandemic and not leaving the house most days, the chance of wearing pants with a waist band is slim to none, at least for me.
Months on end of this has not been good for me. Not getting ready day after day after day has a compounding effect – leaving me feeling like just a big lump of a person (and looking like one too!)
So last week I decided to give myself a challenge – to get ready every day. For me that means out of workout clothes/pajamas, showered, hair done, make-up done. For accountability, I decided to snap a pic each day and share to my Instagram Stories. Here is a look at my first week.







So far, this challenge has been really good for me. I’m still not leaving the house most days but getting dressed and ready makes me feel more productive and just overall better about myself. Here are a few things I’ve learned:
1 Don’t wait until you lose the weight. For too long I’ve been saying things like, “When I lose 20/30/50 lbs then I will…” No. TODAY I will get dressed, do my hair, put on some lipstick and enjoy the present in my body just as it is in this moment. I have a tendency to “hide out” when I’m not feeling my best, but all that really does is lead to a life not being lived fully. I want to live each day fully, no matter what size I am.
2 If a piece of clothing doesn’t flatter you, get rid of it. Monday I put on a top that just did nothing for me. It’s a newer purchase from Madewell so I was bummed to admit this, but it’s got to go. There’s no point owning clothes that don’t make you feel good! Side note -taking pictures of yourself in your clothes can be very eye-opening!
3 A quick workout is all you need – just do it. I tend to overthink exercise and how much time I need to get it in. Now that I am challenging myself to get ready each day, I’ve been better at jumping on the tread for a quick 20-30 minute workout in the morning. Whereas before I would overthink it or just put it off so that most days it didn’t happen, I am getting better at just doing it. Still a work in progress, of course. But progress over perfection!
4 Vulnerability creates connection. Putting full body pictures of myself on the internet feels extremely vulnerable. All of my pants are snug, my clothes are old and I don’t have a ton of them. But I’ve received so many messages and positive reactions this past week, I feel more connected with people as a result of putting myself out there.
5 Look better, feel better. I hope this challenge doesn’t come off as shallow to others. Trust me, I am the world’s biggest fan of leggings, no make-up and top-knots! There’s no shame if that’s the season you’re in and you are 100% okay with that. That’s amazing! For me, as much as I love no maintenance comfort, a little effort has gone a long way in making me feel better. If you’ve been feeling sluggish or just ‘blah’ in this crazy year, I would encourage you to try it too!
If you would like to join me in this challenge, I would love that! Let’s use the hashtag #getreadyeverydaychallenge on Instagram and give each other some love and encouragement!
