Slowing Down to Move Forward

Like always, life can slow down persistent momentum toward any goal. Like many of you, I’ve been everywhere! My family is growing (cheers to baby #2), I started a full-time role as a Diabetes Educator at Grady, and I'm busier than ever before. The blog took a backseat, not because it wasn’t important, but because life demanded focus elsewhere. My private has also tremendously slowed down. New patient onboarding, follow-ups, and marketing have been moving at a snail-like cadence as other priorities take the front stage.

But I’m still here—not with a grand re-launch, but with a simple reminder to anyone reading: it’s possible to move forward even if you are not moving fast.

Prioritizing ONE Thing

When we think of success, we often picture constant motion—the satisfaction of hitting goals, checking boxes, pats on the back from many people, and never stopping. But over the past few months, I’ve realized that true productivity isn’t about doing everything; it’s about doing what matters most.

For me, a nutrition priority is my breakfast smoothie. This, by far has been the most constant nutrition staple in my diet. So much so, that I know from start to finish, it takes me 12 minutes to prepare, clean-up included! Most Americans either skip breakfast or can agree that breakfast is the meal where they eat the least amount of fruits or vegetables. This is true for me as well. Naturally, it is challenging to get the daily recommended 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruits daily. I'm grateful that this smoothie gets me closer to this.

Breakfast Smoothie

1 1/2 cup of frozen fruit (an)

1 small banana

2 cups of milk (any)

Handful of greens

1-2 scoops of protein powder

1 tbsp of chia seeds

Breakfast Smoothie

For the rest of the day, I am mindful and try to balance my meals with carbs, non-starchy vegetables, and lean proteins. Sometimes, I feel great about my eating. Other days, I notice that I may have had too much or not enough of something. Progress doesn't always look like growth or change in ALL of your meals. Sometimes, it means sustaining an essential. For me, that essential is a healthy breakfast. For you, it may be something else. Always remember that even the smallest stride in consistency is a success. Before you know it, you're ready to take the next step in your nutrition goals on top of what you've already built.

Flexible Boundaries

I used to think I needed rigid routines to stay on track. I believed that every minute of my day had to be filled with ultra productivity. I learned quickly that my life doesn’t always work like that. It may have worked like that in a previous season and may work like that in a future season, but right now, nope! I must create boundaries around my time, but also stay flexible when things shift. Sometimes that means saying no to opportunities. The hardest part about this is saying no to an opportunity that can improve me but puts a strain on other important priorities, like my sleep and overall energy. An example of this is my physical activity schedule. My time frame to weight train is 5:00-6:30 AM. Outside of this, working out is simply not possible. If I can make it to the gym 3x weekly, then this is a successful exercise week in my eyes. There are some mornings I wake up, get dressed to exercise, and hit the ground running. This is likely a day where I was well-rested. On other days, my body lacks energy and can benefit from the extra hour of rest. I may miss the gym on this day. Or, I may simply modify/condense my workout. There's no reason to feel guilty about this! I'm a human being who needs to make adjustments. I know I'm not alone in this.

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Celebrating Today

So yes, this blog post is short. But it’s meaningful. And that's the point I'm making here. Many sustainable smalls add up to a sustainable big. I find immense value in thinking this way. Whether it was studying for an exam in a nutrition program that led to me living as a Dietitian now or the constant pursuit of growing a relationship with my now wife that has led to our family today, I must remember that many of my successes in life stand on the backbone of small intentional moments. “Pausing” or "slowing down" doesn’t mean “quitting.” Rather for many of us, slowing down is often the best way to move forward.

You have been juggling a lot lately—whether it’s your health, your family, your work, or personal projects that bring joy. You are not alone. And know that it’s okay to find contentment in slow progression, even if things pause momentarily. You can always ramp up when you’re ready.

Your Turn

What’s one project or passion you’ve been meaning to return to? What’s holding you back—and what small step could help you move forward?

I’d love to hear from you in the comments or via email. Let’s keep the conversation going, one real, imperfect, and intentional step at a time. Bests,

Gregory Lafortune MS, RDN, LD