Creating Lasting Change
I’m as guilty as you when it comes to having great plans to make real and fundamental changes in my life, set lofty goals and then fall flat on my face. I want to exercise more and eat better. I want to wake up earlier in the day, and consistently meditate.
I believe the fact that healthy habits are hard to bring about is because we have that negative voice that seemingly runs on autopilot all of the time. The part of your brain pushes the snooze button and convinces us that sleeping later is better than our plan of getting up earlier. The one that pushes off our exercise plan for…other things.
We need to change that voice inside. And it’s possible. Once we identify the problem – and in the case, it’s the old tape recorder that doesn’t like change – and then simply replace the tape.
And I am not talking about improving “will power.” Will power comes as a result of having your thoughts, desires and intentions all aligned, so there is always the motivation to complete the task. This can happen as well when we replace the tape.
Here is what I intend to do over the next few weeks, and I promise to report back how I am doing.
My Goals
1. To do some form of exercise every day, following a schedule pre-planned
2. To eat “clean” – and more on that to follow from our new friend Aimee Rupp and her awesome book Chill Out and Get Healthy: Live Clean to Be Strong and Stay Sexy
3. To wake up an hour earlier than I normally do. So go from 7 a.m. to 6 a.m. during the weekdays.
The Big Three
The three easily things I intend to do to help me accomplish these goals, which of course can be applied to any new habit you would like to create:
1. Journal my thoughts and intentions every day.
2. Before I go to bed and when I wake up, tell myself in no uncertain terms what I intend to do related to my goals. Something like “I will wake up at 6 a.m. and do my exercises” – and believe it in every fiber of my being. Allow my thoughts and actions to coincide with each other.
3. Listen to our soon-to-be-released Wellness and Stress Reduction mind-body program every other day to solidify the response by my subconscious to act in accordance with my conscious intentions.
Yes, the last one is a bit of a tease. We have been working hard on producing a new wellness program more or less for myself, but of course I will share with you when it is ready. This program has the goal of keeping the body healthy by using the mind, but in addition, to establish firm changes in habits to accomplish my goals.
I’ll keep you apprised how I do. I consider Monday (3/28) my first day, and yes, I was able to wake up feeling great, exercised and enjoying some great, healthy foods.
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