Albert Einstein once said "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". Okay, well then, most of us are in a world of trouble and probably would be considered insane by that particular definition. Problem is, most people who are guilty of this type of repetitive behavior can't get out of it no matter how hard they try. Do you know why? Because they never really try to get out of it in the first place. Oh sure, they try a lot of things, but not the right things. Let me explain...
We are creatures of habit. The things that we do every single day are embedded into our subconscious minds and then they set in place mental "programs" that we end up following day in and day out--even though these actions can be causing us extreme pain and holding us back from our goals and dreams. It's a vicious cycle. We just keep doing the same things over and over again. Do we try to get out of the bad and useless patterns? Yup, by doing things that never really solve the REAL problem in the first place.
When I was 17 years old my first car was a big, smooth 1976 Lincoln Mercury Mark IV. This car was incredible. Unfortunately, I had a problem with a bad exhaust pipe. How did I fix it? I would get under the car and just keep throwing tape around the exhaust pipe where it was cracked and porous. Did it work? Yeah, it muffled the sound of the broken pipe...for a while...but then, it would burn off and go right back to sounding like a Harley Davidson Fat Boy with the modified piping :)
You see, I wasn't really dealing with the problem I was only masking it and trying to cover it up temporarily. In the end, I needed a new exhaust. Eventually, that is what I had to get and I did.
When it comes to our bodies and health, we put a lot of proverbial duct tape on the real issues and the real problems. For instance, this time of the year will find excessive eating and drinking leading you BACK to ALL the OLD ways of doing things. You will try to spend a couple of days here and there starving yourself. You will hit the excessive cardio for a few days as you try to UNDO the damage. You will flip on the TV and run into the vitamin store as you seek to find the new fat loss pill or potion of the day. None of these things are getting to the real solution which is getting your HEAD on right and changing the way you think. Stop the insanity and get to the real heart of the problem. Your mind must become priority in your pursuit of your ultimate body and best health.
Where do you start? Begin by writing out what you want and then spend quality time every single day working towards putting your mind training before your physical training. The time spent in conditioning the way you think will long outlast any temporary calorie burning workouts, which in the end, will no longer be as necessary if you can change the way you think. Changing the way you think means seeing food differently, approaching food differently, and even experiencing it differently in your life.
Keep in mind, however, that this is not an either/or situation but a both/and. In other words, knowing how to do your workouts or extra cardio and how much is still very important. Knowing how to balance your calories and/or cause deficits may still be very important. But these things are NOT more important than getting your mental state in the right place. With a strong mind, you can accomplish anything, anywhere at anytime. Here are some techniques to initiate your mind training following a few days of bad choices.
1. Picture your new body as you want it and spend 15-20 minutes visualizing it--nonstop--each and every day. Find a picture of your "ideal" body. See it AS YOURS!
2. Write out what foods will get you the body that you want and spend time telling yourself that you LOVE those foods--yes, even if you don't love them. These foods must be "tied" to the visual imagery of your "ideal" body. In other words, see the foods AS you envision the picture of the body. This is very important. They must work together in imagery within your mind.
3. Develop a mental movie in your mind of what your perfect week would look like--everything from the healthy eating to the exercise. Next, put some music to your mind movie. Now close your eyes and watch that mind movie over and over again until it becomes the most memorable image you have ever seen. Play the music as you visualize the movie in your head. Without realizing it, this will help to move you in the right direction.
Most people fail time and time again, because they keep doing the same things time and time again.
Listen, NOTHING will ever change until you gain control over your most powerful resource--your mind!
Any questions, struggles or thoughts, don't hesitate to reach out to me.
