T-Tapp and Tangled Hair: Lessons About Staying Consistent with Exercise
It lasted for five long years. Sophie was what you call “tender-headed.” Whenever it was time to brush her hair, especially freshly-washed hair, it was an ordeal. No matter how hard we tried to avoid pulling her hair as we unknotted the tangles, there were tears. She loved having long hair but brushing that hair was an unpleasant experience every time.
Last night I sat and watched her brush her own wet hair, grabbing handfuls as she vigorously untangled it. At six years old, she has finally mastered the technique and emotional maturity to deal with her own physical need.
I was struck by the similarity between this experience and our T-Tapp experience. What helped her move from dread and despair to cheerfully tackling the task? How can we apply this to staying consistent and effective with T-Tapp?
The right tools. We finally found a hairbrush with a smooth bristle plate that glided through fine hair rather than getting caught in the tangles. It considerably shortened the time and difficulty factors. In the same way, the right tools can make a huge difference in your exercise program. Good shoes (Skechers Energy 2250 come highly recommended), T-Tapp DVDs (maybe a couple for variety), a mirror, and cute workout clothes can all contribute to results, both physically and mentally.
Support. We didn’t brush Sophie’s hair in anger, yanking and scolding. Not to say there weren’t impatient moments, but we tried hard not to purposely hurt her. Even through her tears, we encouraged and supported her to endure the necessary. Having support from others through difficult times or discouraging results can keep you going. The T-Tapp forum is the best place I know to get that support from people who’ve been there, done that. Having support from ourselves is even more important. Be nice to you.
Plain ol’ hard work. The fact that Sophie didn’t like or enjoy getting her hair brushed didn’t mean that we stopped brushing it. There’s a certain amount of “have to” in our lives, and dread locks were not an option. Sometimes we have to keep on keepin’ on, but the end results are definitely worth it.
A change in thoughts. Ah, here’s the biggest secret. My husband is really good at reverse psychology with children. A couple of weeks ago he started joking with Sophie that he hoped she didn’t brush her own hair because he wanted to brush it. He would act like he couldn’t wait to brush those tangles and she would giggle about her silly Papa. She soon began to brush her own hair, laughing about how she beat him to it and now she got to brush it first. No tears, no dread. The task had turned into an accomplishment and victory.
Obviously (to adults), the only thing that changed was her attitude. An attitude is created by the thoughts that go before it.
Step back and observe yourself. When it comes to your T-Tapp practice, what thoughts need to change?
This is too hard, I can’t figure it out….changed to….This is a challenge, but I’m up for it!
I don’t have time to work out….changed to….How can I fit in a workout today?
I have so far to go, I may as well give up….changed to….Look at how far I’ve already come!
This isn’t working, I haven’t lost that many inches….changed to….Inch loss adds up over the months!
Just a change in attitude could change your results. And attitude is created by thoughts we allow. Just because a thought pops into our head doesn’t mean we have to believe it and embrace it and let it have control.
After years of tears about tangled hair, I’m still basking in the relief that hair-brushing is no longer an ordeal. Hopefully you’ll soon feel the same way about staying consistent with T-Tapp.
Please leave a comment below!
I especially loved your tip about changing your attitude! Our words are so powerful and can have a big impact. I wrote about how a change of words/attitude shifted my feeling of dread for an upcoming month to a feeling of excitement. https://thegiftofgivinglife.com/changing-our-words-and-thoughts/
Charlotte, this is a wonderful post! Great analogy–it just shows how much of life works essentially the same way. Attitude makes a huge difference. Thanks for writing it down–I need to hear it! 🙂