Do you have a big goal, yet you just haven’t been able to get any traction? I do. I need to improve my health and fitness. Gradually over the last few months I have been increasing my activity and thanks to finding B3 Bands I have been able to increase my activity significantly. But it hasn’t been enough, so I decided it is time to start kedging.
What is kedging? It is a technique used when you are sailing to help move the boat against a strong tide. Years ago, when ships didn’t have engines and they were trying to get to shore, if the wind wasn’t cooperating and the tide was strong, they couldn’t get there. Doesn’t that feel like our lives sometimes? We are trying so hard, but it seems like things keep coming up to block us or slow us down?
To fix this the captain would put a light anchor, called a kedge, on a boat. A bunch of strapping young men would row the boat out 600 feet or so and drop the anchor. Next the crew would pull like deamons to haul the ship to the anchor and then they would do it again until they got to shore. It sounds like a lot of work but may be the only way to overcome strong winds or a tide to get you to the shore.
My version of kedging was adding additional coaching to get me back on track. First, I worked with my Emotional Freedom Technique coach to eliminate any core beliefs, entrenched stories and/or secondary gains I might be struggling with related to weight, health, and fitness. A secondary gain is when there may be unconscious benefits to keeping the weight on. An example of a secondary gain is when someone is sick and getting disability checks, if they get well, they will lose their income. Another example would be if someone starts achieving their goals, they may have a fear their spouse will leave them. So, in other words you have an unconscious benefit to staying the way you are. A core belief is when you have a deep seeded belief about yourself that prevents you from achieving goals. Examples of core beliefs are I don’t deserve this, or I am not good enough, etc. And a story is basically the story you have been telling yourself about who you are.
Working with my coach was huge. I had some amazing breakthroughs. I coupled this with attending the Tony Robbins Virtual Unleash the Power Within workshop which was four 12-hour immersive days of working on changing the stories you have been telling yourself.
Normally when this is a live session one of the evenings you walk on coals. But of course, virtually this wouldn’t be safe so instead they sent us all a board. The goal was to break the board with our bare hand, showing us how much power, we have in overcoming our fears. So, as part of the exercise I wrote my fear on the top of the board and then on the other side I wrote who and what I would be without that fear. Breaking the board was a metaphor for breaking through my fear to the other side. I recorded breaking through the board. I decided to be vulnerable and share it with you. Every time I listen to it, I smile at myself and my 10-year-old giddy little girl laughter. By the way I was at home alone with my dog Ellie when I did this. So, she is the one I celebrated with.
The point is sometimes we need to do a little kedging to get us back on track. Kedging for you may be signing up for an adventure trip you need to get in shape for, agreeing to give a presentation you don’t feel quite ready for, hiring a coach to keep you accountable, signing up for a workshop, or making a pitch to an investor forcing you to define your business.
How am I doing on my fitness goal? I am 6 days in to my 10-day detox and feeling awesome. Take a look at your goals and if you are feeling stuck or things out of your control like COVID-19 are getting in your way, maybe it’s time to start Kedging.
Love Always,
Kim