The late family therapist Virginia Satir is reported to have done some research and found that there are more than 250 different ways to wash dishes.

Think about that for a minute. There are more than 250 ways to get the same simple result—clean dishes.

Too often, we believe that there is only one “right” way to do things—our way. Instead of valuing and appreciating the other 249 ways, we dismiss them, or actually criticism them. We may demand that it be done the “One Right Way.”

I know that I have been on both the giving and receiving end of this “One Right Way” mindset, and neither perspective is very much fun.

An area where this “One Right Way” mindset is rampant is weight loss. How often have you been besieged by a friend who has found THE “One Right Way” to diet or exercise, and they practically beat you about the head in an effort to get you to try it, too? (And yes, I may have been that friend!)

But let’s think about it a minute. If there are 250 ways just to clean dishes, how many different ways do you think there are to eat healthy foods and effectively move your body? What makes you think there is just one solution that is right for every body?

If there was, I would submit that we wouldn’t have so much expert disagreement about the “One Right Way” to lose weight. Or even what foods are actually healthy. Carbohydrates anyone? Anybody remember when butter was the biggest sinner out there and margarine was touted as the solution?

I know people who are lean and sexy who eat a low carb diet, as well as some who eat a high carb diet, who are vegetarians and vegans, who eat only raw foods, or whole foods, the French way, the Mediterranean way, or the paleo way, etc., etc.

I know people who are lean and sexy who run and lift weights, as well as some who do yoga, pilates, or tai chi, or cross train, or bike, etc., etc.

So both the challenge and the opportunity is that you have to take responsibility to find the plan for healthy eating and exercise that works best for you, that you will enjoy enough to follow consistently, and that is flexible enough to allow you to not only live your life, but to change, grow, and evolve.

To find the best workout and eating plan for you, you may want to experiment, try new things, have fun, and listen to your body.

Ultimately, the best workout is the one that you will enjoy enough to do consistently and the best diet is the plan that you can make a healthy lifestyle.

What can you do today to let go of the “One Right Way” mindset and begin to value the multitude of ways to accomplish the same thing?

Together we can do it!

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