August 17, 2022
It’s all about aligning your habits with your vision.
My husband Zenon was talking to a friend during a training session recently. This friend has gotten chubby as he’s aged because he loves food; however, he’s also a performer and wants to lose weight to look better on stage.
He casually asked Zenon whether to do keto or paleo – as if he was looking for a quick hack to solve his problem. Zenon suggested that instead of doing the next fad diet or “hack,” he should consider what he wants to… BECOME.
Who is the fit version of himself? How does he live, eat, move? Once he figures that out, then he can map out the steps he needs to take to become him.
Many of us struggle with some version of this, yo-yo-ing between diets, half-heartedly doing what it takes to get and stay strong and healthy…
We indulge on the weekend, wish we were exercising more but kick the goal down the road as our busy life takes over. As a result, we start to feel like our vision of health is becoming more like a mirage instead of holding the possibility of success at the end of the road.
I know it can feel hopeless sometimes, or like you’ll never reach your goal…
But those are just feelings.
Life is this beautiful journey filled with challenges, set-backs, and even failures. But just like the baby learning to walk will fall time and time again before she learns to stay stable on her feet, which she will learn, you too will go through the trials and frustrations that can come along with change. A baby falls… thousands of times before walking.
The first step to getting off the yo-yo dieting or exercise roller coaster is to focus on who you are choosing to become. Focus on developing the habits of that identity and you begin to shape your destiny.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
— Will Durant (inspired by Aristotle)
This quote was an interpretation of Aristotle’s quote, “Virtues are formed in man by his doing the actions,” according to dailystoic.com.
So ultimately, when you are yo-yoing in and out of “being” fit, are you being the best version of you? Because really, isn’t that ultimately what we’d love – to know that we are living up to our conscience and striving for our best selves?
So what does this look like practically speaking? For one thing, I’d like to acknowledge that each positive action you take is absolutely a reflection of you striving toward the best you… like the one you’re taking right now by reading this article. This in itself is evidence that you are still working to fulfill your health vision. And we are here to help you clarify and actualize it.
Step One: Clarity
Imagine this: You’re standing on one side of a river bank, and you see the best version of yourself on the other. Between you are a series of stepping stones. But this person is everything you want to be! So you’ve decided to journey the stepping stones to get there.
Before you start, get to know your backstory. Who is this vision of greatness? How does she or he feel? What’s different about him or her? What are her or his habits? How does he or she look?
Every action and thought you take affects your wellness vision. Therefore, I recommend taking some time to track what your thoughts and actions are over a week or so. This will help you get a more complete picture of what you are currently doing.
“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
—Lao Tzu
Step 2: Getting to Your “BIG Why”
Unfortunately, wanting something is typically not reason enough to follow through on the necessary habits to become the people we want to be.
I’ve gone down this road myself, as have many of my clients.
So yes, you want to look good, but why? What’s important to you about looking good? What will it make possible in your life if you look good and lose weight?
Get to the bottom of your big why because that’s what will sustain you on this journey.
Step 3: Navigating The Chaos
Once we set goals and make roadmaps to achieve them, it’s easy to imagine that there will be a linear progression toward those goals. The reality is…
Progress is never linear.
Perhaps this is why a quest must include at least two tribulations to be considered a quest. Those tribulations often set the main character back to square one… yet when the main character finally succeeds, we are left with a heroic tale.
So remember, going after your goals often looks more like a jumbled mess of twists and turns than a clean liner line pointing upwards.
By accepting the realities of change, you will arm yourself with the patience and grit one needs to succeed.
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