What hula-hooping taught me about getting unstuck

On Tuesday I went to my first HulaFit class. I’d seen the flier for it at the bus stop, and it stuck out to me for being unusual and fun. I’d never been able to hula hoop, so I thought I’d go along and check it out.

For a while now I’ve been regularly writing down lists of “20 things I’d love to do” or “20 things that bring me joy” and then making sure I do at least one a day. Or when I’m feeling depleted, I look at the list and do something from it to refill my tank.

Hula hooping was not on the list, but the mantra from another coach, “the more frivolous the better,” was at the back of my mind when I saw the HulaFit flier. So I booked in for a trial.

When I arrived, two ladies in their 60s were already hula-hooping away with bright pink and white hoops. It really made me happy to see it because it was so unexpected. It filled me with delight.

It reminded me of how I felt watching the scene from Ted Lasso when Coach Beard gets up and starts hula-hooping in the middle of a club.

It was so unexpected and inspiring. The surprise element is that he is so good at it because he is a serious character. This clip of him hula-hooping reveals his true spirit.

So in class, I started tentatively, at first only managing to keep the hoop going for a few seconds, but with good instructions from the teacher and cheers of support from the other hula-hooping ladies, I gradually started getting the hang of it, and it felt great! And whilst doing it, I tuned out of my “to-do list” and was completely in the moment.

Lessons I learned

Listen to and trust your inner voice

When I saw the HulaFit flyer at the bus stop, it jumped out at me immediately as something I’d love to try. But my inner voice kicked in with “you don’t have time”, “you’ll be no good at it”. But because I’m focused on self-care and what will nourish me, I managed to question this discouraging voice and contacted the instructor for a free trial.

Working with a coach can help you explore the inner dialogue that may talk you out of doing what will bring you joy. A coach can help you explore limiting beliefs such as “I’m too old, too big, too clumsy …to do…” and consider whether they’re stopping you from doing something you’d enjoy.

Play and experiment with something new – the more frivolous the better

Trying something new allows us to play, experiment and make mistakes without needing to be perfect.

I dropped my hula hoop so many times in that first class, but it was a safe, encouraging environment to keep going and improving.

With a coach, you can play and experiment with ideas, think creatively about an area you may be stuck in, and get encouragement to get out there and do it even though you think you might fail.

Set a goal to learn a new skill

It could be something physical like hula hooping, learning to paint watercolour, or crocheting; something you have to learn how to master.

Learning a new skill gives you something to practise, develop and gradually become more confident in.

Learning a skill that you could potentially master, like hula hooping, adding on new tricks, or dancing to music with the hoop, allows you to keep challenging yourself and developing what you can do.

A coach can challenge you to set new goals and support you as you learn new life-enhancing skills; this could also be trying out new ways of being.

Put self-care first

Use the practice of writing down 20 things that nourish you and make you feel alive “up”, on a regular basis. Most “up” activities are of two main types:

Mastery: skills that we learn, and basic things we need to do to make life organised and run smoothly.

Pleasure: things we enjoy doing, e.g. taking a long bath, eating our favourite food, going for a walk, seeing a friend, watching a good film, listening to music etc.

When people are very busy, they tend to give up nourishing activities that seem less “urgent”. This can leave us with even less energy for the activities we enjoy. To counteract this, it's good to choose to spend more time on “up” activities and less time on “down” ones. HulaFit is definitely an “up” activity for me.

A coach can help you to stay on track with your self-care, facilitate the generation of new ideas for “up” activities, and provide accountability for making time for them regularly.

Commitment

There’s nothing like having an accountability partner; it’s easy to allow other people’s needs and wants to take priority over our own. Signing up for four hula hooping classes has made me accountable to going every week to get better, even when I don’t feel like it, or I feel I have more “important things” to do.

Having a coach as an accountability partner can help you stay focused on your goal. Carving out time to experiment and play gives you an opportunity to try something different. Scheduling regular coaching sessions gives you space to focus on yourself and what matters to you, and use that time to work towards changes that matter to you.

So if you’re feeling stuck or uninspired trying to change career, improve a relationship, or start a project, counterintuitive as it sounds, you might find inspiration in learning something new or taking up a new hobby.

How about BMX racing, Lego building, ice skating… It may seem frivolous amongst the “to-dos”, but for me, going to the HulaFit class inspired me to write this article, and my coach gave me the accountability to finish it.