164. Break The Rules

You can break the rules. It might feel uncomfortable and push you out of your comfort zone, but a certain level of freedom comes when you don’t listen to the rules. Rules are just your boundaries and the boundaries you have with other people. Think about your own rules – how can you break them?   Some of the Rules You Can Break Work smarter, not harder You don’t have to fix the problem You can spend the holidays at home   Break the Rules I was talking with my coach recently. They challenged me to explore what it would mean to break the rules – my own rules. If you’re like me, you have many rules you subscribe to. Some you’ve made yourself, while others come from society. What if I told you that you could break those rules? You can break any rule, especially if they’re difficult, uncomfortable, or they feel suffocating.  I do this, especially when it comes to weight loss and health. It’s all about working smarter, not harder (though you can apply that to any aspect of your life). I’ve seen my clients make so much more progress working smarter, not harder, in their exercise and nutrition routines.   Rules are Just Boundaries I also encourage you to consider that you don’t have to solve a problem. Not all problems need to be solved – sometimes, you just need to sit with something that isn’t broken. Break the rule that tells you that you have to solve every problem. What rule-breaking comes down to is your boundaries. Rules are the boundaries you have with yourself, first and then with other people. You just need to remember that other people have their own boundaries and rules, and they don’t have to prescribe to your rules and boundaries. Think about what your rules are and how you can break them. What are some of your rules that feel suffocating? Let me know in the comments on the episode page.   In This Episode  What it means to work smarter, not harder [4:00] How breaking the rules makes you more human [9:00] What it looks like to break your own rules [9:30] Some of the fitness rules that need to break [14:00] Why you have to let other people make their own rules, too [25:30]   Quotes “We broke our own rule only to find out that we have people now who are achieving the results that they really want.” [5:49] “We want slow results and change. We want this because we want to work through every bit of change.” [21:30] “The idea is, and breaking the rule of, we don’t have to solve the problem. The old rule was to solve the problem and fix it. New rule, breaking the rule, is that we don’t have to fix the problem. How can we actually go ahead and sit with something that isn’t broken?” [22:39] “This is all about boundaries. Rules are kind of the boundaries you have with yourself, first, and then the boundaries you have with others. We also have to be mindful of other people’s rules.” [25:43] “I want to really encourage you. Break some safe rules. The rules that, if you break them, everything is fine still. I want you to practice it. I want you to practice being aware of your initial reaction to certain things and see if there’s a rule tied up in there. Then I would like you to think about breaking that rule, just a little bit. What would have to change to go against that rule?” [27:12]   Resources 31 Days of FIT. Learn more HERE. Muscle Maintenance During Fat Loss. Waitlist HERE. Fit Woman Collective™. Learn more HERE. Follow Dr. Ali Novitsky on TikTok | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube Subscribe to The Muscles and Mindset Podcast on Apple Podcasts *** Ali Novitsky MD, this podcast, and podcast write-up are NOT providing medical advice ***   Related Episodes  Episode 133: Uncomfortable Growth  Episode 143: The Power of Asking for Help  Episode 153: Lose Stress Not Carbs