It just will not work this way up ^^^^^ change occurs deep in our subconscious..which we cant out-think!
Just as you need to be patient training an elephant you need to take your time training
yourself.
Add to that the fact, to train our subconscious, we also need to delete the bad habits we have accumulated over the years and replace immediately with good habits.
Nature hates a vacuum...if you give something up, you had better make sure you have a replacement habit ready!
The habits you have now, even if 'bad' were there for a reason so must have given you some positive outcome. It is our job to find out if this is really the case or are they a form of sedation?
I gave up smoking as I started running...as I recovered from the cigarettes I simultaneously felt better from the
running. Therefore the improvement curve was really steep. I got this right totally by chance and it proved to me that I COULD do it and get healthy!
It has been shown many times before that lifestyle change which stays, is much more successful when done by small steps of one thing at a time. I call it 'tickling the elephant'.
Make a small change a success and RIGHT there is
the thin edge of the wedge...now work hard to drive it in.
Also change your environment, for example:
- don't have snacks in the house
- be well prepped for your food for the next day
- reduce barrier to work out
- hire a coach, or set up
with a friend to walk more..accountability works!
Overall, it needs to be YOUR time, anyone else telling you to do it creates an instant block. All new PT's often make the mistake of firing loads of changes at a new client, only to later discover that this has the OPPOSITE of what they want desperately to achieve. Consultative, humble and authentic guidance is where success lies.
Listen to how you speak to yourself and others. Are you speaking in 'change talk'?
- 'I suppose I could cut down'
- 'Maybe I could find ten minutes to exercise a day'
- 'I could call Ben tomorrow and go for a cycle'
If you do, then what is holding you
back? The biggest step has already been taken!
Try to imagine stripping back your elephant to a new baby elephant. Be patient, supportive and really positive to yourself.
Train it up from ground zero, be mindful of how far you have come and how successful you already are.
Someone fitter, stronger, leaner than you are just a bit further down the path, with a better trained elephant than you have...that is all.
Your priorities have simply been needed elsewhere so when its time all it will need is a slight tweak to set you on your way.
Nudge that elephant!
J
