When we talk about health we often talk about food, exercise, stress, sleep, etc etc etc. What we don’t talk much about is mindset. Now, hear me out… I know that talking about mindset is all the rage now and you’re probably sick of it, I get it. I want to ask you to bear with me and look at these 4 simple shifts in your internal dialogue that can do wonders for your health journey.
These are 4 mindset shifts you can work on to improve your relationship with your exercise, your food, your to do list. We have 4 weeks to go this year, so maybe focus on one each week!
1. Replace “have to” with “get to”.
This is a simple little shift, but it’s powerful. Here are some examples, but to find the most powerful for you, pay attention to your internal dialogue.
From >>> To
– I have to work out/exercise >>> I get to move my body and make it stronger
– I have to eat _____ >>> I get to choose my food to honor my health and love my body
– I have to stop eating ____ >>> I get to say yes or no to foods according to my goals and health
– I have to go to work >>> I get to go to a job that allows me to pay the bills
– I have to play with my kids >>> I get to invest time in my relationship with my kids
These are a few examples, but you get the picture. Going from obligation to choice puts you in the driver seat, and removes you from being a victim of your surroundings.
2. Remove the “just” from your accomplishments.
We have the terrible habit of adding “just” to our accomplishments instead of simply celebrating them. Things like “I just lost 2pounds (or 1kg)”, “I just read one chapter”, “I just ate well 80% of the week”, “I just…..”
Let’s remove that “just” and acknowledge our accomplishments for what they are. Could we do better? The answer to that is usually yes in any area of life, but that doesn’t mean that we didn’t do our best, or that we didn’t do the best we could in the moment we were in. There is no gain in diminishing your win from the get go.
3. How much do you want it? Really.
Every choice we make is a matter of priorities. Every yes means saying no to something else. Every no means saying yes to something else. What you will do, achieve, how you will spend your day, what you will eat, how you will push your body, who you will spend time with… everything we do is a choice.
So you have a goal… how much do you want it? Really. How much do you want it? Your day to day, moment to moment choices actually reflect what you want most.
4. Marathon x Sprint
You’ve probably heard this before, but your life is not a sprint, your goals, especially regarding your health, are not a sprint. It’s a marathon… it’s the long haul. The sooner you understand this, the easier it will be for you to say no to fad diets, to quick fixes, to shortcuts.
I’ve said this over and over and over again, but I’ll say it again. There is no finish line in health, there are only wins. Understand that down to your core and you will be able to make day to day choices with the long game in mind, instead of instant gratification.
Do any of these resonate with you? Let me know!
Keeping it simple,
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