by Courtney Scott, Fitness Specialist at New Image
Have you ever noticed how seemingly unimportant decisions can have rather large consequences? It seems no matter who I talk to, everyone has a story – a tale of struggle and breakthrough which ultimately defines who they are and how they view the world.
We all face temptation in daily life! Sometimes it might be sneaking an extra chocolate biscuit at work, driving a little faster than the speed limit or perhaps something a little more life altering. I wanted to send a little encouragement out to those who, like me, face daily challenges in choosing what is best for your health and what might satisfy your cravings for a moment but leave you feeling guilty later.
Most people have enough of an understanding on what is considered ‘healthy’ in terms of foods we consume, exercise and a work/life balance however it is unrealistic to think we will never slip up or cheat a little once in a while. What I have found is the guilt trip which follows an indulgent moment will often trigger more indulgent moments due to feelings of guilt, shame and failure. The good news is YOU have the power to affect change on your brain!
HOW??
Here’s two handy hints…
- Refocus! We beat ourselves up when we feel we haven’t reached the mark, but by focussing on the stuff-up or the ‘bad’ behaviour we make it the priority. We need to focus on the GOOD things! Focus on the change you want to see. Picture yourself reaching your goal and how you’ll feel when you have achieved it. It’s pretty exciting!
- What do you value most? Think about the things in your life that are important to you. This may be in different areas of your life. For example: family, health, business, holidays, seeing your kids grow up. Pick anything that gets you fired up! If we have a WHY to our training/healthy eating routine/mental health goals, we are far more likely to go the distance, especially when things get rough. Without a ‘why’ behind our goals, why bother?!
Are you up for a challenge?
This is called the ‘4 times’ challenge…
- Start by picking 4 x people in your life to hold you accountable to your goals
- Write down 4 x reasons for your number one goal (do this for all specific goals if you like)
- Plan 4 x contingency plans in case you find yourself in a situation that is counterproductive to your goals Eg. Out for dinner/drinks, peer pressure, wanting to sleep in instead of train etc.
- Do this for 4 weeks!
Changing our thinking does not happen overnight but if we are consistent in the day to day moments and keep the all-important WHY in the forefront of our minds and share our hopes, dreams and goals with trusted people in our lives, we CAN move forward and become masters of our thought life!
