Sunday, January 13, 2013

Know the Difference: Setback vs. Failure

My 21-Day Sugar Detox: Two weeks down, one to go!  

Since I started on January 1, I confess that I've ever-so-slightly fluctuated in my adherence.  Week 1 was outstanding.  It was fresh and new and I was turning down sugar-laden food and drink like it was nothing. Then, Week 2 caught me with... not even caving to suggestion but simply giving in to my own temptations, my own crankiness and whims, maybe simply because I could.  I made a couple choices that I am not happy about, but they taught me about myself, and now I continue on.

Each morning, I receive an email from Diane Sanfilippo, creator of the 21-Day Sugar Detox, in which she offers some words of motivation and some tips for simplifying the task. This week, one email contained some words that really spoke to me:


Yep, that's exactly what I needed to hear.  A setback means I slipped up, lost focus, got lazy, and made an undesirable choice.  It was not me "giving up," and it may not have furthered my goal, but a setback does not mean that I failed.  I did not decide that my health wasn't worth the effort.  Instead, I recognized my setback, learned from it, and got back on the horse.

With that said, I plan to finish my 21 19-Day Sugar Detox strong!  The first week and a half showed me the great benefits I feel from removing sugar, and then the detrimental effects I felt after those few moments of weakness.  (This likely goes hand-in-hand with the return to more clean paleo.)  I'll keep those wellness and blech memories in mind as I move into the final week and finish out the third week.

Whatever your goals or desired habits and lifestyles are, I dare you to recognize the difference between a set back and failure, and to not let setbacks discourage you from moving forward with as much momentum as you began! 

Have a great week :)

14 comments:

  1. Exactly! I've been trying to think this way as much as possible, because it really is true. Failure means you've given up, and you accept that what you want to achieve will never happen. A setback is just that - you made a slip-up, and you are set back for a little bit. Keep pressing on and eventually you will get there.

    Good luck this time with the detox. You don't need to be perfect - you just need to keep going!

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  2. You're doing awesome!!! My friend and I have been doing the Tone it Up Meal plan together and it's hard NOT to slip up now and then, but the important thing is getting back on track and not beating yourself up over it! You're doing awesome!

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  3. I loved that part of her email too! We can do this! Look how far we have come! I'm surprised at how much I learned about food and myself in such a short period of time. I so needed this. I hope your final week goes awesome!

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    1. Thanks, Connie -- and you, too!! Starting paleo and the sugar detox at the same time -- big challenge! Keep up the good work.

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  4. I LOOOVE the line "it's not a mistake if you learned from it" too.
    so in that light Ive never failed?

    xo

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  5. Amen. You learn from everything it is that you do. It's not failing...it's learning and trying anew.

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  6. That's a great reminder. Yes, there's a huge difference between setbacks and failures. Setbacks can be discouraging but it also offers an opportunity to learn and move forward. You are doing great! Good luck with your final week!

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    1. Thanks, Christine! Definitely seeing it as an opportunity :)

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  7. such a great thought!! I have tried sugar detox and whatnot before and it doesn't work for me. I finally realized that immediate must say no always leads me to eat more, I'm trying a more measured approach and thing it's going to work...sugar is so tricky!

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  8. the difference between setback and failure is SO hard to recognize without putting in extra effort, but once you do recognize it, it works WONDERS to make you feel encouraged and like all hope is not lost! i'm glad the challenge "comes with" these reminder emails!

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