Three keys to successfully achieving your health and wellness goals!
Three keys to successfully achieving your health and wellness goals.
by FH Nutrition Coach/Trainer Tiffany Kelley
Taking action towards new goals can be overwhelming and stressful. Over time we have created deep-rooted habit loops and patterns. We can literally become stuck in our old ways. It’s not anything to be shameful or feel guilty about. It’s just how our brain works.
Charles Duhig explains in his book “The Power of Habit” that the basal ganglia part of the brain plays a key role in developing emotions, memories, and pattern recognition. The prefrontal cortex is where decisions are made. When a behavior starts to become automatic, after being repeated several times, our prefrontal cortex stops using that mental activity to make a conscious decision about it, and it becomes a habit that is easily and routinely performed without much thought.
In theory, it’s great that our brain is saving that energy to use it for other things, but if we’re not being mindful of our actions and patterns, sometimes they can become harmful and not serve us well. Changing habits can take a lot of work mentally and physically.
After 15 years in the fitness and nutrition industry, and working with hundreds of people, I have found that when approaching a new goal, there are three things that can get people off to a great start and give them the momentum they need to persevere and follow through.
Start with a well-deserved Confidence Boost
We are so quick to dismiss our wins and successes, and just move on, leaving them behind. Those things should be celebrated and remembered. They are things to be proud of and have played a big role in making you the awesome, unique individual you are today. Start by creating a list of things that you have accomplished and are proud of. They should be all things big and small. Take some time to really think back and sit in the exciting emotions of your past wins and successes! You could go a step further and find pictures or certificates or diplomas; anything tangible to remind you of those accomplishments. Keep them out where you can see them often. These things might be completely unrelated to your new goal, but having the confidence and the reminder that you are “kind of a big deal”, will carry over to your new venture!
Create your “Why” Statement
Having a strong, deeply rooted “Why” will give you the intrinsic motivation and confidence to keep pushing through when things get tough. Unfortunately, the inspiration that you have when you first get started isn’t going to be enough to keep the momentum going.
Your Why Statement needs to really resonate with you.
Here are some examples of “why’s” that won’t resonate with you long term:
Everyone else is doing it.
So and so wants me to.
It’s something I “should” do.
People will like me more.
In order to find your personal Why Statement, first, ask yourself the following questions and write out the answers.
What is my goal?
How will I feel when I reach this goal?
How will this impact my life?
What makes this goal appealing to me?
What are the benefits of achieving this goal?
Why is it worth it to me to put in the effort to reach this goal?
List anything else that pops up as you’re thinking about these things.
Now that you have all of these notes and you’ve done some brainstorming, let’s create a statement.
I will ________________________ so that _________________________.
Fill in your personal goal in the first blank, and 1-3 of your strongest, most meaningful reasons, why you want to accomplish your goal in the second blank.
Body Positivity
Media has created an image of what we “should” look like, and has told us that if we don’t fit that mold, then we shouldn’t feel good about ourselves. Well, I call bull $***. For one, that image is extremely unrealistic and most times photoshopped. Second, no matter what you look like, you are worthy of great things and add so much value to this world.
Your body is the vessel that has carried you through this life and has served you in so many ways. Your body deserves your gratitude and appreciation. It is so easy for us to take for granted everything that our body does for us and so easy to lose sight of how amazing it is.
Start to become aware of the people you see in everyday life. In reality, people are all different shapes and sizes. Beautiful, strong, resilient, healthy people do not usually look like the image that the media has created. You can and should feel proud and confident in your own body whether or not you look like a fashion model.
Take responsibility for your own value. What’s most important is how you feel about yourself, not how anyone else feels about you. You are worthy of love and happiness just the way you are. It is definitely ok to want to make some changes in your health, physical and mental well being, and maybe even your body composition, but remember those changes don’t make you any more worthy of happiness. Love yourself now. Do the work to remove negative self-talk and to appreciate your body, and I guarantee that it will make your health and wellness journey easier and more enjoyable.
Lastly, it can be very beneficial to write some notes and put them in places where you will see them often. The things that you see, read, and hear regularly shape your beliefs and emotions.
I recommend posting these 3 things somewhere where you’ll see them several times per day:
Your Self Confidence Boost List
Your Why Statement
The quote: “I am worthy of happiness just the way I am. It’s not anyone else’s job to like me, it’s my job to like me.”
Ok, so there you have it! Three keys to successfully achieving your health and wellness goals. Now take all of this passion and enthusiasm and go crush those goals!