Life Hacks of the Lean and Fit Part VI: Talking to Yourself

You know, we all do it.  We talk to ourselves all day long.

We do it so much, we hardly notice we’re doing it.  We mentally narrate our days, grumble under our breathe, and silently speak all kinds of words to ourselves–positive, and negative.

Do you ever listen to your own words?

Your words are powerful!  Being intentional with your words can literally shift the direction you are going in your thought life.  And your thoughts trigger feelings, which guide your actions.

So when it comes to your health and fitness goals, the things you tell yourself might be one of the greatest determining factors in whether or not you succeed.

I wrote a post a few weeks ago about visualizing the person you want to become, and then walking into that vision.  I’ve received a number of messages from readers who have been practicing the things I shared and turning a big corner in their health journey.  Even whole families have committed to trying it–and it’s working!   I am so proud of anyone brave enough to do this.   (If you missed that post, you might want to hop over and read it now (here! 🙂 )

The words you speak to yourself will heavily influence the choices you make, and in turn the person you become. 

Friends have shared honestly with me some of the words that they tell themselves each day.  Maybe some of these are familiar to you:

“Why try?  It didn’t work last time!”  “You just don’t have will power.”  “You’ll always be fat.  Give up!”  “You’re just built big, you’ll never be thin!”  “What difference will one more cookie (or chip, or bite…) make?”  “You’ll go back to your old eating anyways.”  “You’re a joke!”  and finally–a common thought this time of the year:   “Just give up for this week (month/year,) Maybe you can start fresh in the New Year.”

Man, what harsh words!  Would you ever in a million years say those things to a friend?  No way!  Yet so many people say those very words to themselves every single day.

If that is you, I hope you’ll stop and apologize to yourself right now.  You must change your thinking and your words if you want to succeed.  You must begin to believe in yourself.

And if you can’t believe in yourself–I want you to know that I DO!

I am convinced that if you’re having trouble achieving weight or health goals, the biggest problem lies in the beliefs you have about yourself, and the words you say to yourself.

Some of you need to go back and read that last statement again.  And again.  Speak it out loud.  It is the truth.   And you can change it.

What if you began practicing…Rehearsing if you will..certain words and phrases and statements consistenly–even religiously?  What if you began to speak positively to yourself?

Here’s just a few to try:

“I am fully capable of achieving my goals.”
“It may not have worked last time, but I am constantly improving, and I believe it will work this time.”
“I am beautiful.”
“I DO have the will power–Watch me prove it!”
“I can’t wait to overcome my challenges.”
“I will have a great story to share with others struggling!”
“Food will  NOT make me feel better.  Making good choices will make me feel better.”
“I will say no to the things that bring me down and say yes to the things that make me a better person.”
“I get to choose who I am becoming.”
“Tomorrow I will feel so good for saying no to (__) today!”
 “I may not be there yet, but by next summer…I’m going to feel so good!”

You might write some of these down on cards.  Add some of your own.   Then set a reminder to rehearse them throughout the day.  (On the hour?  3 X daily?  Morning and night?)  At first you might say the words and not feel any of it to be true.  That’s ok!  That is not only normal, but to be expected…Just say the words any ways.  Say them over and over and over until you live them and believe them.

Try exchanging every negative statement that you catch yourself saying for something both true and positive.  It might take time and perseverance, but speaking words of encouragement to yourself may be your greatest key to achieving fitness goals.

Let me know what you think of this–Perhaps some of your already practice it, and can share a positive experience with speaking positively to yourself!  Or if you’re in the mood to confess, share some of the things you have been telling yourself that might be blocking you from achieving your goals. 

Leave your comments below, and as always–If this encouraged you, I hope you’ll pin and share it on your favorite social media sites! 🙂

With Aloha,
Monica