First of all, happy belated new year!
Now, on to today’s post.
I hate hashtags. I use them on Instagram because, well, that’s what all the cool kids do … but on the whole, I loathe them — especially made-up ones that are twenty words long and clogging up my newsfeed on Facebook.
I have often equated them to that line in Mean Girls when Rachel McAdams’ character (Regina George) says to Lacey Chabert’s character (Gretchen Wieners): “Stop trying to make ‘fetch’ happen. It’s not going to happen.”
In all the social spaces these days, people are inventing hashtags, seemingly in the hope their clever words (i.e., their “fetch”) will get picked up. Some are downright stupid and long and irritating … and some make perfect sense.
And then every so often, a hashtag comes along that makes me stop in my tracks because it is that impactful. This was one of them: #wycwywc.
I didn’t invent it, but I’m using it and living it. It’s not a resolution … it’s a way of life. It stands for “What You Can When You Can” and it’s pronounced “Wick Wick.” It was created by Roni of Roni’s Weigh, and she and Carla of MizFit are writing an book on the topic to “inspire and challenge people to drop the perfection mindset so they can finally break the yo-yo dieting cycle of hell.”
#wycwyc is so easy to embrace because it:
1) applies to anything in life — cutting down debt, improving relationships/friendships, eating better, spending fewer hours at the office (or less time working at night), working out more (or less if you’re an over-exerciser), spending more time offline, traveling more (or perhaps less if work demands you travel), etc.)
2) it celebrates small achievements and
3) perhaps most importantly … when living #wycwyc … there is no guilt. You simply do what you can when you can and that’s that. Leave the guilt at the door.
It very much reminds me of something I wrote about a couple years ago at Wellsphere:
“break it into palatable pieces.” IT being anything you’re struggling with accomplishing — if you take small, actionable steps, it can lead to big results. Back then, it meant going one day without chewing and spitting. Then two. Then three. Then a week. You get the drift. I know that methodology helped me overcome my eating disorder. It’s the same mentality that helped me lose 35 pounds in 2004, and helped me lose the baby weight with Maya (and will help me do the same with Ben). It helps people beef up their bank accounts, get their book proposal done, you name it. The big picture can be intimidating; scary even. But just doing what you can, when you can …
works.
As a working-outside-the-home mom of two now, I don’t have the luxury to work out when I please anymore. Mornings are hard because Ben is sleeping a solid 8-12 hours (most nights) but is unpredictable with his wake-ups (anywhere between 4 and 7 AM). And evenings are a mad flurry of dinner, baths, books, bed, clean-up. So I’ve been embracing #wycwyc. Last night, that meant squeezing in a 30 minute cardio session after the kids were asleep. The tradeoff was leaving my warm, cozy home and bracing myself for frigid temps to get to the gym … but I did it and lived to tell about it and felt great after. I can’t rely on daily workouts to help me maintain my weight anymore (let alone lose the rest of the baby weight so my pants aren’t snug) so I’ll need to find ways to squeeze it in … #wycwyc.
Some other non-fitness related examples:
-I knew I wouldn’t have time in the morning to do my hair the other day, so I straightened it the previous night. #wycwyc.
-I’m a terrible saver. So now I put $X into my bank account automatically. #wycwyc.
-I wanted the whole huge cookie yesterday, so I ate half. #wycwyc.
-I don’t have time to devote a whole day to laundry, so I have committed to one room per night. (Ben’s, ours, Maya’s). #wycwyc.
How about you? Do you think you can embrace #wycwyc in 2014 and beyond? Do mantras/mottos help you achieve your goals, whatever they may be?
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Let There Be Light 
I LOVE that quote, Janelle! Love.
Thank you 🙂