It would be really easy for me to just tell you to have the “willpower” to push the plate away and to get your ass to the gym every day. It would be easy for me to excuse your lack of success on the fact that you just don’t have enough “willpower” to be successful at being a healthier human.
Some people say that willpower is bullshit. Some people say people who have no willpower are weak. Some people say they only have willpower when they feel motivated.
I have a different perspective on willpower, motivation and all of the mindset contributors when it comes to building the healthy body you so desperately want.
First, let’s talk about Motivation –
I wish I had a dollar for every conversation I had about “motivation” – for every time someone told me about how they “lack motivation”, “need to get motivated”, or “wish they were more motivated” to stick to their wellness plan.
Listen to me – if you are waiting to get motivated – don’t hold your breath.
Motivation is fleeting, it’s temperamental, it’s dependent, it’s flaky, and it’s unreliable.
And willpower is exactly the same.
You are not weak because you aren’t motivated or lacking willpower – you are human.
You are emotional, you are tired, you are stressed, you are human.
Now that I just validated why you may not feel those things – it’s time for the tough love part. Buckle up.
Constructing a healthy lifestyle is a process that you DESIGN.
Just like any good design – like the floor plan for your dream home, the pattern for your wedding dress, the flowchart for a bulletproof business system – there are phases that must be passed through before you arrive at your final design.
Constructing a healthy lifestyle is a process that you TEST.
Any rock solid product, medication, recipe or system – you test your drafted process, over and over again until you land on the details that work.
Constructing a healthy lifestyle is a series of processes that you now must adopt as DISCIPLINE.
Discipline and consistency will always out work motivation and willpower by a long shot. Every. Single. Time.
Constructing your healthy lifestyle isn’t sexy. It’s repetition.
Repetition breeds familiarity. Familiarity breeds comfortability. Comfortability breeds normalcy.
When your healthy lifestyle habits become NORMAL – it’s not work any longer – it’s just how you live your life.
Well, that was easier to say than it is to do, right?
A big part of what I do on a regular basis is coaching people into making healthy actions become healthy habits and healthy habits become permanent. And I love it.
Over the years, I have completely changed not only my actions and habits but my mindset surrounding both.
If you are begrudgingly following a plan to get healthy – you will fail.
If you cannot appreciate and find value in exercise and clean eating – you will fail.
If you do not change your MIND about what it takes to become the healthiest version of yourself – you will fail.
And I am not being negative here – I am being truthful – and – this is truth that you need to hear and embrace.
So, where to start?
Start slow. Start with intention. Start with realistic expectations.
Real change doesn’t happen when you try to change everything at once.
In my 15 years of experience coaching people toward a healthier life, I have always driven home the point that you have to start with small changes that you are willing to do forever.
So, it isn’t up to me (or your Coach) to decide what you are willing to do – that’s your job.
Are you willing to give up sugar forever?
Never eat fast food again?
Cut out alcohol completely?
There is no right or wrong answer to any of those questions –
INCONSISTENCY is inevitable when you decide to start something that you have no intention of sticking with!!
Read that line again!
And, in 15 years of experience coaching – INCONSISTENCY is the biggest issue that keeps people from their real goals.
So, then WHAT are you willing to change permanently or start doing immediately with a reasonable expectation that it will become your new normal?
- Increase daily steps by 2500??
- Then once you see success doing that for 60 days, increase by another 2500 daily – rinse and repeat until you are consistently getting 10K steps a day. See, this may take time – but you “baby stepped” your way to 10K instead of just jumping in.
- Go to bed 30 minutes earlier??
- This is a hard one because there are always reasons that can be a challenge. Maybe 30 is pushing it – maybe you start with 15 minutes.
- Our hope is to get a solid 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
- You’ll be SHOCKED as to the health, metabolic, and cognitive function benefits you will see just by getting more sleep.
- Cutting out ultra-processed food??
- Identify which foods you currently are eating on the regular that fit this bill and gradually start to find replacements for them.
- This is a hard one – but it is SO worth the effort!! You don’t need me to preach about the horrible effects these foods have on every single part of your health….you already know!
You get the point?
REAL change doesn’t come from WILLPOWER or MOTIVATION –
REAL change comes from intentional actions that move you slowly toward being a better version of yourself.
REAL change comes with patience, perspective and persistence.
REAL change is the ultimate goal.
Interested in learning more? BOOK HERE!
