It’s not always easy to ignore the hype surrounding certain body parts such as abs, bikini body, and six-pack abs. If you want to lose weight or improve your health, then finding a deeper purpose is the key to achieving success. Doing so will ignite passion in you and motivate you to reach your goals.
As I sat down to talk to one of my clients, I could already see the pain in her eyes. She had just started working out and wanted to lose weight and get fit again. She looked surprised at all the questions i kept throwing at her. Then, she told me that she had been fighting her weight loss for over a decade. She said that her mother had also had diabetes, and she felt like she was following in her footsteps. Her daughter had just told her that she should not be alone with her granddaughter because she was too overweight and immobile to care of her. Truth is many of us are like her: afraid to discuss what’s really bothering us. Because achieving lasting change often requires overcoming the emotional pain that’s keeping people from achieving their goals.
Our true motivations are much deeper than just looking good. They include goals that are related to our bodies and personal interests. It was her desire to be able to take care of her granddaughter no matter the circumstances, that in the end pushed her to reach her goals. It was also her burning passion.
Discovering what’s keeping you stuck makes you more determined to change. Sometimes, pain will be obvious. It can be right in front of you. It could be from the time when you were picked last in school. It could be from the moment when someone said something offensive about your body. Pain can be powerful and influential over time. It can manifest in various forms of actions and behaviors like
Avoiding activities that are good for you.
You’ll often feel like you’re the worst when it comes to making decisions.
Your inner voice tells you that making the right choice is impossible
You thought that being rejected at middle school would make you not find true love.
Below the surface, there is often pain. This can be used to trigger serious change.
Find your why She wanted to lose weight because she was trusted to look after her granddaughter. This is what led to her wanting to lose weight. Likewise, Your “why” is the inner reason that you want to change something in your life. It's the reason that pushes you to make a change, and it's the reason that makes you feel good about doing it. Other shames include the weight gain after having kids. There are five reasons why you should change, and these are the ones that will drive change. Attending to these are hard, but it can be done through an exercise that helps you identify the deep reasons behind all the above. Take the first step toward identifying the reason behind wanting to improve your health and fitness routine. Then, start asking yourself why you want to get fit. Some people can quickly define their why, while others take a bit of time to get it out. Being able to practice meditative practice can help you identify the thoughts that are keeping you from living a full life. Take 5 minutes to yourself and find a quiet place. Scan from the top of your head to the toes, and note how those sensations feel. Then, do the same exercise for your thoughts and emotions. Ask yourself three questions: What am I feeling right now? What am I thinking about? This will help you identify what is driving your thoughts and feelings.
Turn pain into action Nathasha was struggling with her body image, and she was afraid to be good enough. Through the healing process, she was able to see that her fear was holding her back. And that she needed to change her mindset. Turning pain into action are often challenging or difficult. Just make sure that you know what the pain is and that you can tolerate the hard part. When looking at this, there are two ways you'll be able to identify your daily tasks; difficult-easy and difficult-difficult. Difficult-easy describes the things that are hard to do, but still within your comfort zone. Like many of us, Nathasha found it hard to put aside her comfort zone and start doing hard-to-do things. For her, it had been all about finding the right balance between being able to do both and maintain her lifestyle. There are times when difficult-difficult actions seem impossible. These are the actions that make you grow. For the mother who always puts her family first, finding time for herself can be a bit challenging. For someone who works long hours, it can be hard to find time to hang out with friends. For Nathasha, making small changes in her lifestyle and nutrition was difficult. She was worried that it would take away from her time and effort. Most of the time, people avoid doing difficult-difficult tasks due to their fear of doing them. For instance, when people say yes to a task, even though they don't actually have the room for another one. If you were in the same shoes, what would you have done? Would you keep doing the things that make you happy? You keep doing it no matter what. It’s difficult, but it’s also beneficial for you because there are times when doing something new can make you grow and put you on a new path. Once you have identified the difficult part of yourself, start focusing on one small change at a time. This will help you achieve more. For instance, if you want to lose weight, start with a habit that involves lifting weights or doing other physical activities every day. This will help you feel more confident and will set you up for success. For your first habit, try one of these: doing foam rolling for a few minutes each morning, walking after dinner, or going to the gym once per week. For at least two weeks, practice your new habit every day. It will gradually become less challenging and more rewarding. Or maybe, just maybe, you already have a habit of doing two exercises per week. This will help you overcome your difficult-difficult.
Share your pain I once had client who started showing up for workouts but eventually stopped. Two years later, she asked again if we could meet. This time, she explained that she has a disability, and she started showing up 4 times a week. Being able to talk about your pain can help you realize some of the hidden solutions that are available to you. Start with the people you love: Even though she was suffering from depression, she did not want to tell her family about it. After a few months, her motivation started to wane. She was still angry at her daughter. But by talking about it with her family, confronting her daughter, Her family was not only supportive of her efforts, they also committed to making lifestyle changes. If you allow yourself to be vulnerable, then those around you will rally to support you. This will make all the difference in helping you reach your goals. If you’re ready to share your pain, then give yourself permission to slow down.
Exposing yourself to stress helps prepare for more challenging situations. It forces you to handle the things that are not overwhelming you, and it lets you share what really matters to you. You can do this alone, but don’t feel like you have to. If it’s uncomfortable, just follow the path that’s right for you. Once you discover the reason behind your pain, you may find the passion that you were missing.
Instead of focusing on losing weight, start thinking about the bigger picture. You’ll discover that the motivation to achieve the results you really want is within you.