Earlier this year, I had dinner with a lady who said she finds herself going back and forth with vegan life.
She has no problem staying vegan while doing an online challenge or as a group with her church, but goes back to a standard American diet once the challenge or Daniel Fast is over.
She asked what I think the issue is....
I believe the reason she can't move is that she isn't very clear about her why after the challenge is over.
Here's what I mean: Her only goal is to get to the end of those 30 days; not to truly embrace a vegan lifestyle.
Your why is sooo important! It is the foundation of your vegan lifestyle.
Related: Two Key Steps You Must Take If You Want to Be Vegan
Tips on How to Be Vegan for Life
(1) Get clear about your why
Why do you want to become a vegan? Take a moment and think about it. Do you want to do it for your health? The health of your family? To protest factory farming? Do you want to protect our planet's precious resources?
Visualize what your life will look like when you transition to a delicious and long-term vegan life with your family. Take a few minutes and write down these reasons. Keep this writing on hand, so that you can refer to it when things get tough.
(2) Put as much of the lifestyle on autopilot as possible
The less thinking you have to do the better. Establish easy go-to vegan recipes and keep your breakfast and snacks as simple as possible.
Snacks and breakfast are the easiest time of the day to keep things simple...so do just that. :-)
(3) Always be learning & be open to experimenting
It's not necessary to read or watch a vegan documentary daily, but it is important to stay connected with new information, recipes, and products as you move forward. Watching documentaries and reading new vegan books will motivate you to keep going and have fun in the kitchen experimenting with ingredients and cooking techniques. I have several tips on how to get confident in the kitchen on this blog post.
(4) Find a community
The Internet makes it sooo easy for us to connect with people from all over the world. Get inspired by like-minded people on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. Also, meetup.com will help you find local vegans to connect with as well.
Related: Where's Your Vegan Community?
(5) Be gentle with yourself
Please please please be gentle with yourself as you move forward on your vegan journey.
Do you see all this Boyz II Men begging I'm doing right now?
Seriously!
This is a process, so don't give up if it doesn't feel comfortable or when you don't feel like you're "doing it right."
There's a lot to learn (and unlearn), so don't expect everything to be perfect.
Progression over perfection...always.
One of my favorite podcast episodes is my interview with Gail Roddy, who has been vegan for over 25 years. If you're struggling to stay on this lifestyle, check out that episode for more encouragement and tips.
>> Listen here <<
Share your own tips in the comments :-)
