How do you see yourself? Are you healthy, or do you want to be healthy? Jim Fortin, certified Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Master Hypnotist, believes that the key to creating actual, lifelong change is not barreling through with willpower, but instead, using mental development to reshape your habits, attitudes, and even your very identity.
If you are ready to revitalize your health from the inside out, I encourage you to implement these four tips shared by Jim Fortin.
Tackle ONE Thing
“I would tackle one thing and one thing only,” Jim said. He suggests omitting a single item from your diet that hinders you from improving your energy levels, attitude, and health. Maybe that’s coffee creamer in your morning coffee, a bag of chips at lunchtime, or a dessert after dinner.
What foods make you feel bloated? What drinks make you feel jittery? Start by pulling one of them out of your diet for a week or two and evaluate how you feel. To reach a big outcome, whether that be to lose five pounds, run your first marathon, or simply become more active, you must achieve little solutions along the way.
Quit Personalizing Your Mistakes
Many people tend to personalize their mistakes by saying “I am so lazy,” “I just don’t have any discipline,” or “I just can’t do it.” Jim explains, “If you trip along the way, it doesn’t mean anything other than that you’ve tripped.” Instead of telling yourself, “I knew I couldn’t do this healthy eating thing” when you give in to an unhealthy choice, he encourages you to accept the mistake, avoid the temptation to give up, and continue pursuing your healthy goals.
Decide WHO You Are
Are you fit and active, or do you want to be fit and active? Are you an athlete, or do you want to be an athlete? There is power in deciding WHO you are in order to revitalize your health. “Because she is overweight in her mind, she is overweight in her external environment,” Jim said.
I had always considered myself to be athletic. I worked out, ate well and lived an active lifestyle because I viewed myself as an athlete. After my recent injury, I had to push myself to get up, eat well and workout. I was no longer positioning myself as an athlete in my mind. When I shifted my thoughts from “I am an athlete” to “I am trying to be an athlete,” I was less motivated to workout and live the healthy lifestyle I had previously been pursuing.
Stop Using Willpower
Jim describes “willpower” as a fixed resource, not unlike the battery in your phone; when you drain your phone’s battery power throughout the day, you must recharge it at night. “We use our willpower to fight the habit, the habit fights back, and then the more willpower we use, we deplete our resource of willpower,” Jim explained. Our habit often becomes stronger than our willpower, and we tend to give up. Instead, he encourages you to intentionally reprogram your subconscious mind to produce the outcomes that you want. Whatever you are thinking, feeling, or believing on the inside will eventually make its way to the surface.
Are you ready to shift your mindset to improve your mental and physical health? Consider implementing these four tips to reshape your habits, attitudes, and your identity to ultimately revitalize your health. Tune in to Episode 20 of the Fit Is Freedom podcast to learn more from Jim Fortin about creating lifelong change.