I continue to hear a lack of discipline and willpower as the excuse for why people aren’t able to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here’s the thing: You’re not going to magically wake up one day with this new-found discipline and willpower. The good news is, you don’t need to! That’s not what you need to have a healthy lifestyle. It sounds pretty miserable if you have to resist everything you love in order to be healthy. That’s not healthy!
Here’s what you actually need instead of discipline and willpower.
Get to the root causes of why you’re stuck in this rut of having unhealthy behaviors.
- Why do you have low energy levels throughout the day?
- Why do you stay up late watching TV when you know you should be sleeping more?
- Why do you need something sweet in the day as a reward?
This is what you need to start doing to break these patterns. You need to start listening to your body. It’s telling you that there is something going on and you keep ignoring it.
Start setting yourself up for success.
Instead of relying on discipline or forcing yourself to do an hour workout every day, start creating a habit. That way you don’t have to decide each day when you’re going to fit in a workout. That’s hard and takes energy!
Instead, think about an amount of time that you can commit to some movement and then tie it to a behavior you already do. For example, do 5 minutes of movement as soon as you wake up or as soon as you’re done with your workday go for a short walk outside. Once you start to tie the behavior to something you already do, you remove the choice. That’s how you’ll start setting yourself up for success.
Start taking a more playful approach to health.
Stop thinking that a healthy lifestyle is about forcing yourself to do things you don’t want to do. It’s not! Start focusing on what you can do that’s enjoyable. A healthy lifestyle is enjoyable and fun. For fitness, what kind of things do you enjoy? For healthy eating, start finding the healthy food that you actually love. What boosts your energy? What leaves you feeling satisfied and loving the way you feel in your body?
Start taking a more playful approach! This shouldn’t be miserable. Instead of thinking you have to force yourself to get the results you want, start listening to your body. Get to know what your body and mind really need – AND enjoy. The more you focus on what you need to thrive, the more your success will be inevitable.
It’s true that this does take some work, but it can be a fun and enjoyable adventure! If you’re ready to stop making excuses or feeling stuck in this rut, and you’re ready to start creating a lifestyle that you love, then let’s connect! In addition to my 3 and 6 month 1-on-1 programs, I’m now offering (a limited number) of 90-minute 1-on-1 intensives. I’ll help you identify what’s holding you back and how to get jump-started to getting the results you want.
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