Yesterday, I made a long list of things that I want to achieve in 2012. Chances are, you may have made a resolution or two, as well.
Right now, you may be fired up to get to the gym, or to start that new diet, or to begin the process for whatever it is you have decided to change.
If so, woo hoo! Deciding to change is a huge step. Let’s harness that positive energy you are feeling right now and keep it going!
One way to do that is to look at your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs and see if they are supporting your new actions, or if they will soon be sending your positive intentions off the road and into the bushes.
For instance, how sustainable will your commitment to workout be if you are thinking thoughts like:
- “I hate exercise.”
- “I hate to sweat.
- “I have to work out perfectly everyday or there’s no sense in doing it.”
- “Exercise is no fun.”
- “I am hating every moment of this.
Those kinds of thoughts will drive your exercise plan right off the road and into a tree!
How do they make you feel? How much do they fuel your belief that you can meet your goal versus you can’t? What direction are they pointing you in?
Chances are if you’re thinking thoughts like these, you aren’t going to be able to jump right away to the idea that, “exercise is fun and you love it.” How honest does that feel? So begin by easing up on your thoughts just a little bit.
For instance:
- “This may be hard, but I really want to meet my goal.”
- “I know when I get this done I’m going to feel better.”
- “I can do anything for 10 minutes.”
- “I don’t have to be perfect, but I do need to be consistent.”
- “As I build up my endurance with this, I’ll be able to try new activities, and maybe I’ll find one that I really enjoy.”
- “Each small step I’m taking is moving me closer to my goal.”
- “I don’t have to love it to do it.”
- “My desire to reach my goal is bigger then how I feel about exercise.”
- “Once I get this done, I don’t have to think about it again today.”
- “I want to do this because I want to be healthy, fit, and lean.”
Easing up a little on your thoughts feels better and fuels your positive beliefs that you can do something.
Aligning your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs to support your actions is like making sure your car is in drive, you have a solid hold on the steering wheel, and you have plenty of gas in the tank as you ease down on the gas pedal.
What can you do to notice if your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs are moving you where you want to go? If they aren’t, what can you do to begin to change them?
Together we can do it!
Photo by graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Goss Coaching 
Took me awhile to figure this out, but I now know that I have to move my body or I will feel worse. Twenty minutes on the treadmill is all I need and it gets the endorphins firing so even if I’m tired when I start I am energized when I’m done. Where I was once resistant I now look forward to each mornings session; that was an easy change to make and I feel great!
Awesome! Way to shift your mental gears!
I am sorry I do not like to exercise but I do like how it makes me feel…. I do not like to diet but I know I need to lose 5 % of my body weight…. I like sweets but I know they are bad for my weight and diabetes…. Last year I lost 20 pounds but gained 5 back…. Now I have started then South Beach Diet and my exercise program… The exercise program is not intense but if I do it as I get up every day it works for me…I actually walk around my house carrying 1 pound weights (um cans of food)…. Every 3 circles I lift the cans over my head and every 10 circles I go down and up the stairs… It is not as good as I could do but it seems to be something I can sustain…At least it makes me move… I am not sure I can switch mental gears…. But I know I can do what I need to do….So for the next 1 to 2 weeks I will stay on the SB diet at stage 1…. Then I will go to stage 2…. If I am lucky and I do it right I might make my goal by my kids Bday on February 16… My goal is to lose 15 pounds…. I think I can do it….I know I can do it…. I am not happy about the need but if I did it I will be down to 175 which would be 25 pounds lighter then I was December 1, 2010…. then after my husband Bday on Feb. 19 I will continue the exercise and maintain or try to lose more… I find I hit plateaus in life…. My real goal is to get off the Metformin with an A1C below 6. I don’t know if I will but I will try….
Way to go on finding an exercise routine that you can do consistently! That’s awesome! Way to go, too, on picking a healthy diet that you know you can stick with. These are great things that will definitely help you met your goal. You already have half the mindset change down, because you do know how exercise makes you feel. It truly can be as simple as when you catch yourself thinking about how much you don’t like exercise, just reminding yourself about how good it makes you feel. To keep the momentum going, think about how good you will feel being 15 pounds lighter on Feb. 16. What would that actually feel like? What would it feel like to get off the Metformin with an A1C below 6? Think about how that would feel, and perhaps even write that down and read it when you are thinking about eating something not on your diet or skipping your workout. Figure out what works for you. You don’t have to make huge mental shifts. What would be the mental equivalent of walking around your house with cans of food? Little steps make a big difference! I would love to hear how you are doing, and how I can help you meet your goals. You can absolutely do it!
I started this diet last year…I was having foot problems due to the diabetes… My sugar wasn’t so high but I was scared….I never have run an AIC above 7 but it was creeping close…. My feet hadn’t healed from the summer abuse of walking in sandals and going barefoot sometimes…. Worse the sensitivity of my feet were compromised.. I have worked in nursing home full of diabetics who had their lower extremities amputated… It was 0 F when I saw the foot doctor.. He told me to get a better pair of shoes… The diabetic nurse told me I probably couldn’t counteract what happened but sometimes one can… Just not to be too disappointed if my feet didn’t get better… That is how I started walking inside instead of outside…. My feet got better (not perfect) but I can be tickled again (never thought that would make me happy) and the sugar numbers got better… Sometimes I feel funny walking around my house with cans of food or beer bottles (they work very well, they have handles)…So the sugar numbers are creeping up again so here comes the diet and walking….I could join a gym but I probably wouldn’t get there…. I do know myself…
I think your finding a way to exercise that works for you is brilliant! And clearly it is working. Way to go on improving your feet and sugar numbers so much! Let that funny feeling be a feeling of success and creativity. Know what will work for you is hugely important to maintaining consistency. You don’t have to be perfect, but you do have to be consistent. Look forward to hearing about your progress!