Do you ever envision that if circumstance were different, then you’d be able to focus on your health and weight loss goals? Like, once you’re no longer caring for a parent at home while also working full time, shuttling kids to sports activities between business appointments or building a business that demands more than you ever thought it would?
Any number of things take priority while health and wellness often take a back seat. Or, they don’t get a seat at all!
The thing is, for long-term success in life, making time for healthy habits is non-negotiable. But how?
I recently heard an interview with Olympic Gold Medalist, Scott Hamilton, and he said something that really connected with me. He said that when making a change we have to view it as a new pattern of living. A person must identify herself as “this is who I am now.”
That requires a wholesale mindset shift, doesn’t it? Just like reversing the belief that to be healthy is hard, changing our thinking is the foundational first step to living out a truly healthy lifestyle, one where we have the energy and resilience to thrive.
So, what do you say when you talk to yourself? Is the conversation positive or negative? Is it full of possibility or excuses? Does it make you feel hopeful and confident or defeated and shamed?
Who you believe you are now is reflected in that very conversation. And that belief affects your behavior. And your behavior leads to your present reality.
The story you tell yourself has likely been honed over years, in some cases decades. And you may be surrounded by people telling the same story (you know, the “this is just the way it is” or “I can’t do anything about it” kind of stories). Try imaging what it would look like to flip the script and tell a fresh, new story.
I’m serious when I say that this is where it starts. You can try to implement any number of healthy habits but your mindset will pop up, kick you in the butt and disrupt everything. Start here.
So, how can you stay in charge of your mindset so that it helps you rather than hinders you as you work to fit your health and weight loss goals into your busy schedule?
