The “Mentals” are the fundamentals

You started 2021 thinking you wanted to create some new habits.  You were ready to make a change to finally lose weight or get fit.  You may have even made a New Year’s resolution to hire a personal trainer to keep you motivated.

How is that going?

If you’re like many people, you may have kept up with the routine for a few weeks, but as the weather got colder and your to-do list got longer, you may have let that new routine slide.

Don’t be too hard on yourself though. It happens to the best of us.

When you create a new goal, it’s easy in the beginning. Then it gets hard when the roadblocks happen.  To make the changes stick you must begin with this important step- take care of the mentals!

The Mentals are the Fundamentals.

What does that mean?

The “mentals” are how you think.  The “fundamentals” are the foundation of the good habit you want to create.  It is the WHY behind what you are trying to achieve.

You may be thinking “I just need some motivation and I can get back into my routine”.

Motivation isn’t enough. Sure, it may work for a little while. However, motivation alone won’t get you out of bed on a cold, dark morning to meet with a personal trainer before you head off to work.

But your WHY will.

We all have stories in our minds we tell ourselves.  Many of them are completely untrue.  Most are someone else’s narrative that we have adopted for ourselves. I call this head trash and it affects every part of our lives. It can hold you back from achieving the goal you truly want.

It’s time to take out the head trash and get the results you deserve.

Start by creating the fundamentals.  You have to think about the goal you want to achieve.

Envision the result first so you can set your path.  This will help you build a ramp over those roadblocks that are bound to happen, allowing you to move past them more quickly.

This is a simple first step, but it may not be as easy as it seems.

When you consider the goal, you are likely to come up with a reason quickly.

Let me tell you a secret…

That first reason is not the actual one.  That is your surface reason.

It is important to drill down through the surface to uncover the REAL reason. This is what will drive you when the motivation is in short supply.

Your surface WHY for getting fit may be something like “I want to look great in a bathing suit”.

<insert YOUR reason here>

Now you must drill deeper. You may want to do this exercise when you are alone.

It might dredge up some uncomfortable feelings for you. That’s ok! That’s actually how you will know that you’re getting closer to your REAL WHY!

And I promise you, the result is so worth it!

Ask yourself why you really want to achieve that goal? What will it MEAN to you if you look great in your bathing suit?

You might start to feel anxious, feel flushed, or get goosebumps.

You might start to think of something that you don’t want to say out loud.

Now you’re getting there! As Dr. Martin Seligman stated in his book “We are misnamed. We call ourselves Homo sapiens, the “wise man,” but that’s more of a boast than a description. What makes us wise? What sets us apart from other animals? Various answers have been proposed — language, tools, cooperation, culture, tasting bad to predators — but none is unique to humans. What best distinguishes our species is an ability that scientists are just beginning to appreciate: We contemplate the future.”

Once you have THAT answer. Ask yourself again- why do you want THAT?

Take a deep breath and be honest with yourself.

Dig down.

Are you finding something that you barely even what to think?

THAT is your WHY!

You may have to do this a few more times.  But as I said before, it will be worth it in the end!

Now, close your eyes.  Project into the future.

You have done the hard work and achieved your goal.

Think about your future self.

How will you feel?

How will you look?

Reflect on all the work you did to get there and be proud!

You are amazing!

Take a deep breath in and feel how great it is to be your improved self.

The bright future you envisioned is achievable by starting with the end in mind.

You simply have to clear out the head trash and build up your mentals.

When you have a clear understanding of the goal you truly want, it will be much easier to stay on the road ahead.  Your future you is waiting.  If you have trouble it is ok, you are not alone. Call a trusted advisor, therapist, coach or exercise expert to help.