Have you ever been inspired to change, to start a project, an exercise program, and then stopped? Where did the motivation go and why didn’t last? A lot of people set goals and see them as unachievable even before starting the process. They look at their goals like it’s a giant staircase and they will never reach the top. Before even starting, they tell themselves the goals are impossible to achieve; ‘’there is no way, it looks too hard, it looks too much work’. They are ending up not even starting the whole process. It’s easy to set goals, to have the desire to be at the top of the staircase, it’s easy to write them down, but when you go to actually start climbing, a lot of people give up.
Why?
Everybody has the desire to do something, but they don’t know how to really complete the process of dedicate themselves and have the discipline to do it. If you have the desire, you got to match it with your dedication and with your discipline. To do so, you really need to understand the process.
One simple action from your part can change everything about what you are not satisfied with in life, your motivation, your goals, etc. It’s actually very simple. You will become what you think. It’s a simple clue that could lead to a breakthrough to your attitude forever. Everything comes from your brain, how you speak, move, eat, walk, think, etc. And guest what! Your brain will believe everything you tell him. If you tell your brain you don’t have the talent and you’ve never been any good at that, well guest what will happen; you are never going to be successful at whatever you are seeking.
If you are not satisfied with your life, your health, your fitness, your strength or something else; you have to change the way you think and talk to yourself. Self-talk is the answer to your motivation. You can achieve whatever you want by changing the way you think about you. If the lack of motivation is what keeps you away from the gym, change the way you think about it.
How to do it
There are two different ways you can use your thoughts to reverse a bad habit. First, you need to recognize the need to change and make the decision to do something about it. By using your thoughts alone, you will state that decision in the present tense as though the change has already taken place. During the statement about yourself, you have to use specific words such as ‘’I never’’ and/or ‘‘I no longer’’. For instance, ‘’I never eat more than I should’’. ‘I no longer have problem keeping up with a fitness program’’. These statements are going to tell your subconscious mind to wake up, get moving and make the change. Repetitions is the key, the more you tell yourself the magic sentences in your mind, the more your brain will reprogram itself and creates a new you, new way of thinking. The brain will do whatever you tell him to do. It’s as simple as that.
Second, there is the self-talk about the better you. This is the most effective way to change bad habits. This is the time to choose whatever you want to become, the way you really want to be. This method required the use of the words, ‘’I am’’. I am confident, I am smart, I am able to do it, I am tune, I am optimistic, etc. Once again, you are using the present tense to make it real for your brain. You are telling your brain this is the way you want to be. Repetition, repetition, repetition!
If you have been having problem keeping up with an exercise program, something in your subconscious mind is telling you to give up. The powerful tool of self-talk can help you turn a positive health attitude into positive actions. From fitness to weight control, the more you use positive self-talk, the better and healthy person you become. Change the way you think about exercising, self-talk to counter it, rewire your brain, fix the issue and make it happen.
See you at the gym.
Dave Lessard, Physical Therapist and Personal Trainer
