
Why Her Plan Won’t Work for You
But isn’t it so much easier to just do the plan that worked for your friend or your co-worker or that girl on social media?
Keep your eyes on your own paper.
I’ve written about this before. To be sure, it is a foundation to my beliefs and my coaching, and I feel like it is time to revisit it. So how do we deal with disappointment and frustration when it doesn’t seem like our plan is working?
Jump on the latest bandwagon that’s going by? Follow the plan that your friend started back in January?
Oh how the marketing folks love plans and programs to go viral. Simply start a hashtag, and you’re golden! If they can get a celeb to swear by their product or a television doctor to mention it, then everyone is running after that train ready to jump on!
Why her plan won't work for you. #KeepYourEyesOnYourOwnPaper #focus Click To Tweet

Let’s take a minute to look at a couple of verses and how they apply to this truth of keeping our eyes on our own paper.
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You , for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret,
and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me.
When as yet there were none of them.
How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
Psalm 139: 13-17 (italics mine)
There are some key points here to help us approach the plan differently this time……
- fearfully and wonderfully made – Do you see those words? You, I, we are fearfully and wonderfully made! This is with awe and excellence.
- made in secret – I like to think that I was His own special secret. Before ANYONE knew that life had been created, before a test could show a positive result, HE knew I was there, because He already started forming me. Stop and let that truth sink in for a minute.
- skillfully – This again refers to excellence, to something done well. I’m sure you’ve heard it said before “God doesn’t make mistakes”. But really, He doesn’t!
- precious are your thoughts about me – And then He steps back and has only good thoughts of me. Precious refers to something highly valued. Our Creator highly values us. At the beginning and the ending of everyday, and the time in between, He is thinking about you with loving thoughts.
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. #runmyrace Click To Tweet
So, who are we to look in the mirror and judge what we see? Yes, we should be good stewards of what we’ve been given. Certainly, we need to “eat to live, not live to eat” as Lysa Terkeurst writes. But health and fitness looks differently on and for everyone. This is why I plead with you “Keep your eyes on your own paper!” Stop looking! Stop trying to follow a plan that’ll never work for you because you’re not her….you’re wonderful you! Put the work into becoming a detective of yourself to develop a plan that will become a healthy lifestyle for you.
Now, go to a mirror and say “Hello Beautiful!”
Over in my Facebook community we support each other on our faith and fitness journey. You’re not alone, and you aren’t meant to travel this journey alone. Come over and join us. It’s a place where we’re all working on our own plan but still supporting each other along the way.
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We are all so different so it is important we find what works for us. Helathy living and life in general are not one size fits all. Great post.
Thanks for stopping by Abby! Hope you’re having a great week.
So so true. My coach is a CrossFit coach and I had fun, unique training plans for my last 2 Chicago Marathons. Of course, I had people asking me about it. I also had a few asking me for the plan. I would never share it because my coach wrote it for me specifically and I paid her to do that. Training is not one size fits all. Great post.
Exactly! Thanks for taking the time to stop by today Wendy!
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