Inquisitive.me

Have you worked out today? Did you eat three healthy meals? What about vegetables and fruit? Did you get enough protein? Did you drink enough water—at least two liters? Have you hit your 10,000 steps? Did you wake up at 5 AM? Have you read at least 50 pages yet? You watched television? Seriously? You could’ve used that time to read!

Writers like me can make you feel that way. And I’m really sorry for giving you that constant feeling of not doing more, of not being enough. It’s an unfortunate side effect of offering advice. I see it every day in my practice, too. And I hate it when my patients feel guilty because of something I said—that’s never my intention. I just want them to be healthier and pain-free. It comes from the heart. But sometimes, it doesn’t land like that.

So how do you, as a patient or reader, shield yourself from that guilt? How do you take advice for what it is—advice—and not a verdict on your worth?

Here are three things that helped me:

1. None of us is perfect. Seriously—none. 👌🏻

Me neither. When I read blogs like this, I sometimes feel guilty, too.

I once thought I had to wake up at 5 AM. I even wanted to do a 30-day challenge. Let’s be honest: I never did it. The idea of waking up at 5 AM every day for a month made my toenails curl. I am not a morning person. I can wake up at 4 or 5 AM for a sunrise hike (best feeling ever!), for a 500-km drive to a wedding of my best friend, or for a skiing instructor course—but every day?

Hell will freeze over before that happens.

2. There is no “ideal” way. 🕔

For some people, reading in the evening instead of watching TV is the perfect way to unwind.

For others—especially those who spend the whole day reading, researching, or writing—TV is exactly what helps them switch off.

Some swear that morning workouts are the best start to the day.

For me, it’s the worst. And trust me, I tried. Multiple times. Every time: a disaster.

Working out at 22:00? No problem.

Going for a run at 6 AM? Absolutely not.

Your “ideal way” is simply what works for you right now. And that can change. Maybe one day I’ll be someone who runs at 6 AM. Who knows?

(Probably not 😄.)

3. The finish line is too far away. 🏁

When I first discovered productivity and self-help content, it felt like the finish line was a million miles away. And it terrified me. I was so overwhelmed that I lost motivation immediately—and it took a while to pick it up again.

The mindset shift that saved me was realizing this:

It’s unrealistic to compare myself to people who have years of experience, solid routines, and—most importantly—time.

Influencers, YouTubers, authors, bloggers—creating advice is their job. Reading, researching, testing routines, writing about them… that’s their entire workday.

My job is completely different. I don’t have their time, and I can’t live their routines. The “finish line” they describe isn’t meant for me—and that’s okay.

When I accepted that, a lot of guilt disappeared. I started focusing on what I can do. What feels realistic. What fits into my life.

If you really want to compare yourself (which I don’t recommend—Roosevelt was right: “Comparison is the thief of joy”), then compare yourself to someone just a year or two ahead of you.

Set your finish line there.

Now that we’ve unpacked the whole guilt-problem, let’s turn it into something you can actually work with — without adding more guilt on top.

🧪 Let’s Experiment

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Guilt isn’t a strategy — it’s just noise that distracts you from what actually matters.

Sometimes advice feels like a punch in the gut, even when it wasn’t meant that way. So instead of trying to follow every rule out there, let’s shift the focus back to what’s realistic, personal, and actually helpful for you.

🎯 Try This:

To avoid falling into the guilt trap, try the following:

1. Pick 1–2 goals and ignore the rest.
   Not forever — just for now. Focus beats overwhelm every time.
2. Stop comparing yourself to people who are years ahead of you.
   And if you absolutely must compare, choose someone who’s just a tiny step further than you. Better yet, ask them how they started.
3. Differentiate between essential advice and “nice-to-have” advice.
   Working out or eating healthy? Essential.
   Getting up at 5 AM or reading 50 pages a day? Nice-to-have (some will swear it’s essential — let them).
4. Test routines for 2–4 weeks and classify them as “fit or shit.”
   If it’s shit, drop it and maybe revisit it in a few months.
   (I want to meditate, I swear I do. And I fail every time. Still picking it up once in a while.)
   If it fits, keep it — until it doesn’t. Habits have seasons. I’m on-and-off with journaling myself.

🧠 Final Thought:

Don’t let guilt drive your decisions. It might push you for a day, but it drains you in the long run. Your routines should support you — not punish you.

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Keep it simple, stay curious, and keep learning—you’ve got this.

Take care,

Carina 🦊