Ditch the All-or-Nothing: How Tiny Habits Transform Your Health

"Small steps taken daily create powerful change." This simple yet profound affirmation captures the essence of sustainable wellness, especially for women navigating their 40s, 50s, and beyond. After 23 years in the fitness industry, I've witnessed countless clients fall into the all-or-nothing trap—ambitious workout schedules and perfect meal plans that quickly become overwhelming and unsustainable.

What actually works? Those tiny, consistent actions that may seem insignificant on their own: a five-minute walk after dinner, drinking water before your morning coffee, or ensuring your lunch includes protein and fiber. When stacked day after day, these modest habits transform into remarkable shifts in energy, strength, clarity, and confidence. The beauty lies not just in the physical changes but in rebuilding trust with yourself—creating momentum that carries you through life's inevitable challenges.

I also share a deeply personal story about manifestation and how the universe sometimes delivers exactly what we've been asking for, just packaged differently than expected. After experiencing unprecedented client turnover and focusing my affirmations on financial security, I received a surprising job offer from a former employer. What initially seemed like a step backward revealed itself as the exact opportunity I'd been manifesting.

What small step will you take today that your future self will thank you for? I'd love to hear about your journey—DM me, tag me in your posts, or join our Spandex and Wine community. Together, we're creating powerful change, one small step at a time. Remember to subscribe, leave a review, and share with friends who might need this message of sustainable wellness and self-compassion.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Spandex and Wine
• 0:34 Tuesday's Affirmation Introduction
• 1:54 Small Steps Create Powerful Change
• 4:05 Personal Story: Unexpected Opportunity
• 7:39 Closing and Podcast Support Request

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello and welcome to the Spandex and Wine podcast. I'm your host, robin Hackney, and I'm so happy that you're here. This podcast is a place for conversations about balancing a healthy lifestyle and being happy more specifically, happy hour. Together we'll explore all things wellness and wine. I hope you learn a little, laugh a lot and, along the way, know you're not alone on this balanced wellness journey. Ready to jump in? Pour something in your glass that makes you happy, because it's time for Spandex and Wine. Hey everyone, welcome back to the Spandex and Wine podcast. I'm your host, robin Hackney, and it is Tuesday, so that means it's Affirmation day. As I announced last week when we kicked off season three, I told you that on the Tuesday episodes I will be giving you an affirmation that you can use throughout the week and then, or longer if you would like, and then check back in the following week for a different affirmation, and I explained last week that what I'll do is I will say the affirmation. I'll give you time to say it out loud. Hopefully you're in a place where you can do that. If you need to say it silently, that's fine too. I like the out loud. I like written down even better. I shared that last week, but we'll do that three times, and I like doing it three times just so it is really embedded and a way to rewire your brain and thinking. So here is today's affirmation Small steps taken daily create powerful change. Small steps taken daily create powerful change. All right, let's talk about it. So often in fitness and wellness, we think that we have to go all in. I've seen so many people like that all the workouts, all the meal prep, all the perfect days. But the truth is, especially for us women that are in our 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond, the all or nothing approach usually ends up as nothing, and what actually creates momentum it's the small, consistent actions. So you've heard me say before take a five minute walk after dinner or drink a glass of water before your morning coffee. Maybe choosing protein and fiber at lunch instead of skipping the meal that's a big one. Putting your shoes by the door so it's easier for you to go for a walk, maybe washing your face and going to bed a little earlier, or starting that evening ritual earlier. Those things may seem small and they are small, but when you stack them up day after day, you are stronger, clearer, more energized, more confident. And it just takes those small movement. And what I love the most, when you stop chasing that perfection and you start honoring progress, you start trusting in yourself again, you feel empowered and not overwhelmed. If your wellness journey has you feeling like a cycle of start strong, fall off, repeat. I want you to know that you're not alone and there is another way, one that gives you grace and flexibility and real results, and it starts with that one small decision at a time. So today I would challenge you what is one small step you can take that your future self will thank you for? I'd love for you to DM me, I'd love for you to tag me if you're going to do a post, I would love to know what you're working on. And again, you guys, small steps taken daily create powerful change. I think that's a really good one for today, and I also said that I would share just a little about one affirmation and manifestation that I have been doing and prayer, a prayer that I have been saying, and without too many details. It's not exactly the same every time, but you know, when they say, careful what you ask for, careful what you pray for, it's going to be given to you. Well, it may not be given to you. That might be what's best for you and what's God's will, but it also might be in a form that you had no idea. So a lot of my affirmations will include financial security or financial abundance or just finding a way to make things work financially. And right now those are about financial because I don't know if I shared with you all or not, but back in the spring I had to make a decision to cut back on some of my classes so I could cut back on the rent that I was paying. And so it was my later class that I cut and I was proposing to them that they come two days a week in town and then two days a week out to my house and that would save me a little bit of rent. And it just ended up that it was just it didn't work out for them, it was too far. So that class kind of just dissolved. And then I had some ladies that were coming here, and I had one that moved, one that's going to be a new grandma and what's going to help with the baby, one that has young kids, and it's busy. So I lost a few clients there and I'm like, oh my gosh. In 23 years I have never, ever, ever had this much turnover. And I'm like what the heck is happening. And so that's when I started with those affirmations. And just a few weeks ago it all came to me. I got a call from my former boss. I used to manage the health club at Lock Lloyd Country Club. If you're local, you know what that is. But anyway, he left and when he left a lot of us left, like the chef left, the membership sales, you know. A bunch of people left and they all went to a different country club and I started my own studio. So that was 11 years ago. And just two weeks ago I got a call from that former boss offering me the fitness director position at Country Club of Leawood. And at first I was like I have worked too hard for what I have created and I'm like that's a step back, I am totally not going to do that. And then it dawned on me no, that's exactly what I have been asking for, that's exactly what I've been putting out to the universe, that's exactly what I've been praying for, and it was just given to me in a different form. I did not realize that that's how it would come across, but I see it as a huge opportunity. I'm so excited about that. Yes, I'll keep the podcast. Yes, I still have my Plexus business. Yes, I'm going to be a busy girl, but I like busy and I'm just so grateful that those affirmations and prayers were answered Right and I yeah, I'm just so grateful. So just pay attention to what you're putting out there and notice what comes back your way, because you're putting it out there in a positive way. I think that you'll see powerful shifts, but they might be small, just like those small changes that you're going to do with your health. That's what is going to make a difference. Those small steps every day create a powerful change, and that is exactly what happened to me. So thanks so much for tuning into today's podcast. If this episode excuse me, if this episode resonated with you, I would love for you to share it with a friend. You can make sure you can share it to social media. That would be amazing. And always make sure that you're subscribed to the podcast so you don't miss out on anything. You guys cheers to your health and happiness, one step at a time. Until next time, just go to the podcast and click subscribe or follow. Wherever you're listening, look for the plus sign or follow button. This is one of the best things that you can do for the podcast. If you'd also be willing to give a five-star review, that would be amazing and much appreciated. Lastly, please share an episode with a friend or five to keep the love going, and join the Spandex and wine community in our private facebook group by searching spandex and wine. Feel free to reach out to me at any time by emailing info at spandex and winecom or text me at 913-392-2877. I appreciate you, thank you.