I read this brilliant blog post the other day and felt compelled to share it. If you don’t want to read the entire article, here’s the gist:
“To change your behavior for good, you need to start believing new things about yourself.”
Amen!
Close your eyes and take a moment to reflect upon how you currently perceive yourself. Peek inside your brain and notice what you’re thinking about yourself on a daily basis. Be honest.
For many of my clients, their thinking looks something like this when we first start working together.
I’m the type of person who:
- always gives up
- hates to exercise
- can’t resist sweets
- is doomed
- doesn’t like to cook
- will always be fat
- can’t get it together
Guess what happens when we think these types of thoughts about ourselves? We create results that validate our thinking. We order take out instead of cooking a healthy meal at home. We don’t exercise. We stay fat. We give up!
Before you start setting goals like, “I want to run a 10K this year” or “I want to lose 50 pounds” consider creating a new identity first. What type of person do you want to become?
I tried this myself and here’s what I came up with.
I want to become the type of person who:
- exercises because I want to, never because I “have” to
- is a positive influence and a force of good on this planet
- always learns from her mistakes
- is a good friend
- cherishes the people she loves
- takes risks
- forgives easily
- never stops trying to achieve greater health and happiness
- gets better with age
Grab a piece of paper and give it a go.
The next step is prove it with what the author calls “small wins”. I like to use the term evidence for success. On a daily basis, notice of all of the things you’ve done that support your new identity. Start small.
For example, if you want to move your body more. Buy a pedometer or a new pair of tennis shoes, take a short walk around the block or park in the back of the Walmart lot and walk an extra 50 yards each way.
Create your new identity first. Write it on a Post-it note and stick it everywhere. Believe it. Live it. And then notice how much easier it is to achieve the results you want.