We all get tired of all the weight-loss hype, especially after the first of the year when marketers all over the world are trying to cash in on your New Years’ Resolutions!
Pamela Peeke shares some insights for breaking away from all this “follow this plan and your life will become perfect” crap, and instead getting started on mental, spiritual and physical rejuvenation.
1. Transform using your Inner Wisdom. You have learned a lot during your life and all of this wisdom can be used in a journey of transformation – you just have to allow it to shine through. Use a visualization of your calm and peaceful mind directing empowering choices, leading to more and more well-being.
2. Stop thinking about LOSING. Regardless of the context, don’t think of anything as being “lost” whether it is weight, eating goodies, veg-out time, etc. Instead focus on GAINING – energy, self-esteem, time for myself, more joy.
3. Even your dreams need deadlines. To transform them into reality, you need to make a plan. Ms. Peeke has a great plan to see what you can realistically achieve: Write MIND, MOUTH, and MUSCLE on the top of a page, then below each one write 3-5 goals to achieve there over the next year. Mouth could be – eat a healthy breakfast, or stop talking negatively about myself. Pick one goal from each column that you know you can accomplish in a month – then schedule them on a calendar.
You could apply different headings to other kinds of goals as well – the idea here is to break it down in a way that makes it doable.
4. 80/20 does not just apply to businesses! You need to allow some wiggle room into everything you do. If you can achieve your goals 80% of the time, you will have time built in for those unexpected life events that always come up. And your brain will still tell you that you are doing just fine!
5. Chill-out. You have to give yourself an opportunity to relax and de-stress. Your mind gets tired too with all of its responsibilities so find some time to relax with meditation or prayer. If neither of those appeal to you, try some deep breathing where you do slow, belly breaths in and out. When you calm your mind, your prefrontal cortex is able to form new circuits that help you make new, healthier habits. It is difficult to establish any new behavior when stress hormones are running rampant through your body!
Don’t expect to change overnight. Transformation is like eating an elephant – just one bite at a time!
Image by Endurodoug, used under the Creative Commons Share Alike 2.0 Generic License.
