Self-integrity. It’s kind of a big deal.

Most people I know would agree, but we seldom stop to think about our own — and how it’s impacting our happiness.

I know — #deepthoughts — but it’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about for myself recently as well as how it applies to my clients.

After searching the internet for a definition to help me pinpoint exactly what it is, I found this one: “Self-integrity is about being true to our values, beliefs and convictions.” In other words…

Do you ever get anxiety? Or a nagging frustration with yourself or your life? Stop and think about where those feelings are coming from.

In many cases, I think it’s because we’re not taking the actions we know we’re capable of taking, and yes, it bothers the heck out of us!

For example, let’s say Fran wants to lose weight. She knows in order to do that, she has to start meal prepping and planning ahead more. So she tells herself she’s going to… but then she doesn’t. She decides to start next week, but then doesn’t again. And the more this cycle continues, the worse she feels.

She *thinks* she feels bad about the weight she hasn’t lost yet. But in reality, she feels bad because she keeps breaking the promises she makes to herself. Fran values meal prepping and planning ahead, but she’s not living up to those values.

If you can relate to Fran — as I know I can — there is good news.

All we have to do is start taking action that’s in alignment with our values.

We simply start being the person we want to be.

And those actions can be incredibly small. In fact, if you’re struggling to follow through, get really realistic with your expectations and decide on an action that’s even smaller than you’d been planning. Perhaps it feels like a little bit of a stretch, but it should still feel 100% doable.

As long as the actions — big or small — are in the right direction, the shift happens surprisingly quickly. The anxiety lifts. That self-love we’re after isn’t so hard any more.

So meal prep like you’ve been telling yourself you’re going to do — or start with just one meal. Schedule 15 minutes to read that book you’ve been meaning to read. Make time for that meditation sesh. Apply for the job. Do a 10-minute workout even though you could have found a reason not to.

Whatever it is, take tiny actions to develop that trust with yourself, practice self-integrity, and start moving forward.