“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” – John F. Kennedy
Ask the Right Questions
Are you getting the results you deserve in relation to your health and fitness goals? If not, WHY?
Observing my work environment the other day, I noted members who I see infrequently. They either train immediately after a long weekend, after a holiday period or perhaps after some time away from exercise.
Over the years I’ve noted the same type of person commit to their health and well-being in a sporadic manner. Their success hinges on how they think and feel toward exercise at any given time. There is no consistency to their approach. They’re easily derailed and side-tracked when life throws a curve ball. I’m sure you know the type.
You’re reading this blog post since you desire to be fit and healthy – that’s why you visit this and other sites. No brainer. You’ll remember I wrote previous blog post called The Value of Following Through I discussed the merits of what it takes to achieve success in relation to your goals.
Have you ever examined closely why you want to achieve your goals? Is it because you’re unhappy with your current health or body image? Perhaps others have repeatedly told you that you must take action? Or maybe you want to feel accepted, appreciated and noticed more by those close to you?
Whilst these may seem obvious questions, asking yourself WHY I do ‘x’ or want ‘y’ is an essential process in self-awareness. Your WHY can be the single most powerful expression of how you choose to realise your goals. It can thwart your success or lift you to new heights. Without a proper WHY you remain grounded; taxing on the runway looking for the runway to take off.
Let me tell you about my WHY. Having survived a life threatening illness many years ago, I regard my health and well-being as the single most important aspect I have control over. There is absolutely no excuse, no lack of time, no lack of motivation, no one or no-thing that stops me from tending to my health.
My WHY means spending a good portion of my earnings purchasing the finest food and produce. I choose organic foods where possible. I refuse to allow toxic foods into my body. I treat and respect my body as my best friend. I don’t take short cuts or skimp on essential food items or practices.
I say no to things, people, events and situations which allow my body, mind and spirit to be negatively influenced. My VALUE and relationship toward health is high. I practice what I preach. Others might place value on other aspects such as career, money, business, education, family, community or other. Their decisions and actions influence how they make choices.
I came across a quote by A. J. Reb Materi recently which immediately went into my journal. It read: “So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health.” I thought that was a powerful message asking us to examine what is important in our lives.
Self-Examination. Get Clear
So how do you determine what your WHY is? Your why must be powerfully charged, with an emotional base. My why brings me to tears when I think about it. My why has become my purpose and my wish to help others achieve a similar level of health. If your why is not emotionally charged, you’ll easily become derailed when life doesn’t go as planned. Excuses become the main course, as one forms invalid conclusions about achieving their goal.
Take some time to examine your why. Ponder and reflect on why your call to action is important to YOU. Not anyone else. Ask yourself; why do I want to get fit, healthy, lose weight, cease smoking, eat less junk food, become a more conscious eater etc? Keep asking WHY? You’ll notice children are incredibly astute at this. They’ll often hound you with a series of questions, leaving you mentally exhausted.
Use a similar model, without interrogating yourself. Instead your aim is to become the seeker of the truth. During this process, you might come up against emotions you may have neglected over the years. If so, continue working through, being kind and gentle with what comes up.
Some reasons for your WHY might include; acceptance, being loved & respected, missing out on something in the past, fear, anger, resentment or a number of other related emotions. The emotion you wish to invite forth should be a positive one, not negative. Your why should NOT be something you were lacking. Resist moving forward by giving it attention. Such why’s can thwart your success, since ego is the culprit lurking in the shadow. Its aim is to get what it needs at all costs.
Sit with it for a while when undertaking the process. If you’re currently not achieving the results you wish, allow yourself some time to explore your true self via self-examination. This can be a powerful process, often bringing up new realisations and emotions to the surface.
You might find your WHY was formed around escaping pain as opposed to moving toward pleasure. This may have profound success on how you choose to move forward with your goals. Sometimes in life you’re on a track moving you in a direction which may be for your greatest good. Suddenly, without cause everything is thrown into turmoil. All that you knew to be absolute, safe and right is crushed.
Such moments are often blessings in disguise, showing your track served its purpose in allowing you to arrive at this point of your journey. It’s time now to board a new journey on different tracks which will bring you to the place you were meant to be. So take heart, rest assured. You are exactly where you need to be right now.
