Has this ever happened to you?
You totally know what to eat, what to think and what to do to lose your weight or get to your goal but sometimes you just aren’t able to do it. Do you ever wonder why that happens?
Right now we are going to help you understand how your thoughts lead to feelings and those feelings are what create actions and it will be a game changer. So come along on this journey into leaning to think about what you think about and be ready to be amazed!
For this exercise, we are going to use an example most will relate to so let’s say the goal is to lose 30 lbs. This exercise can work for any goal, this is just what we’ll focus on for today’s exercise.
Our very first step is to wrap your mind around, “What do I typically think about?”
There are four factors to take into consideration, so any thought you have, it’s going to come down to one of these four categories of thought.
The very first thing that we’ve got to start to realize is how our thoughts work and what happens when we have them, and this will help you understand why this is so important to do this.
According neuroscience, the way we think creates the way we feel so we have thought it produces this chemical and it’s this chemical reaction and that chemical reaction is what you experience as an emotion.
Well, what happens once the emotion is cooked up is then it starts leading into our actions. The way we think creates the way we feel, our feelings lead us into our actions and our actions over time just become habits.
Here’s the thing…when most people start a program, whether it’s a diet, on their own, or they’re just going to make some sort of attempt, or they go to the extent of purchasing a program, usually, where everybody’s thought process goes into two things.
What I’ve got to do: action, action, action, action. I’ve got to eat this, don’t eat this…that kind of thing, and hope that just forcing myself into these actions over time will create this habit.
But that is not how it works…inner game happens before outer game. You can’t keep the same mind that got you here and get away from here. So if we start to understand that we are the creators of our own emotions and our emotions lead us into the action like eating right or exercising or whatever it is you’re after doing and your outer game, then we start to realize how important our thoughts truly are.
There are four different categories of thought that we have when we think about any goal, but for this example we’re centering and around weight loss.
The first category would be thinking about what we’re doing wrong. You’re having thoughts that might sound like man, I really screwed up on drinking my water today, I really wanted to get that workout done and I didn’t. I just don’t have time to talk to my coach today. Gosh I wasn’t planning on eating fast food, but I got so busy, and that man, I did that and that’s not all program, etc. It is with these kinds of thoughts that you’re reflecting on what you’re doing wrong. So out of 100% of your thoughts about weight loss and about your goal, how often are you thinking about what you’re doing wrong?
Our second category is work. Work is thinking about everything you have to do to get there. I’ve got to make sure I do this, I have to make sure I go to the grocery store, I’ve got to buy more product, whatever it is you’re thinking that has to happen… I’ve go to do this, this is part of what it takes for me to lose weight, I’ve got to make sure I do that etc. So out of 100% of your thoughts about weight loss and about your goal, how often are you thinking about the work you have to do? Keep in mind with all four categories they have to add up to 100% of your thought about this goal.
That would be our next number that we’re writing down now remember as we’re writing down these numbers all for because we’re gonna have for all, together, have to add up to 100% of your thought about this goal so again it’s not how often you’re doing the work it’s not how often you’re doing something wrong is how often are you thinking about it so when the thoughts about your goal pop into your mind how often are these different ones so first we got what we’re doing wrong.
Our third category is thinking about what you’re doing right. How easy is it for you to come up with your progress, your accomplishments and your victories when your coach asks you about them? Is it easy for you to come up with something or is it the first time you thought about it all week you need a moment?
It is thinking and reflecting on everything you’re doing right. Thoughts like: I’m doing this really well, I started taking these vitamins, I joined a gym etc. It’s all the things you’re thinking about that are going to help you get to this goal.
Our fourth category is how often you’re thinking about why you even care, why you even have this goal, what is in it for you to lose these 30 pounds and how is your life going to change.
Now at this point, you should have four numbers.
Wrong ____ %
Work ____ %
Right ____ %
Why ____ %
Remember you thinking about your weight loss goals, specifically that weight loss goal a number size condition, what a specific weight loss goal.
There are thoughts, you have about the weight loss goal and what we’re breaking out today is what kind of thoughts, so we realize that you don’t think about the weight loss goal all the time we’re saying when you think about the weight loss goal.
Out of 100% of those thoughts, we know it’s not 100% of the time that out of 100% of the thoughts when you’re thinking anything about your weight loss goal.
What percentage of the time are you thinking about what you’re doing wrong or what you’ve done wrong? Thoughts like; I should have eaten that. I should have walked today. Why did I do that last night? I always do this. I’ve just done it again why can’t I get my act together… Those are all examples of thoughts about what you’re doing wrong now, pun intended, there’s no right or wrong answer here this exercise will work to completely shift things for you, if you’ll do the exercise very honestly.
What percentage of time are you thinking about the work you’ve got to do? Thoughts like I’ve got to prep, I’ve got to go grocery store, I’ve got to get to the gym, I’ve got to drink my water, I got to make sure I go into the Fully Alive app, I’ve got to talk to my coach, I’m going to have to make sure I buy that food, cut that food and cook that food. I really want to watch that masterclass. I want to get connected to that group, the steps, the process, the plan the work.
Then, when you’re thinking about your weight loss goal. How much are you giving thought to what you’re doing right? You are drinking your water I got up and walked today I am turning everything in my app I love that I’m talking to my coach I love that I’m noticing my energy I love that I’m noticing my strength, I love that I wake up refreshed. I love that I’m sleeping through the night, I find myself sharing the information with other people and being contagious. I find myself loving to cook…Just paying attention to everything you are doing right.
And then, lastly, why are you doing it so when you’re thinking about your weight loss goal.
How much of the time out of 100% of the time that you give thought to your weight loss goal, are you thinking about why you’re doing it.
What percentage of the time are you thinking about what you want life to look like, what you want to feel like? Again anything from the stamina you want to have, the outlook you want to have to the health you want to possess to the long life you want to live living fully. How much of the time that you think about your weight loss goal or thinking about the why?
Remember out of 100% of the thoughts that you ever have about your weight loss goal so basically anytime you think about your weight loss goal are those thoughts more wrong, work, right or why? You’ll usually know right from your gut you’ll usually know.
Whatever that is put that percentage next to that number and then go to the second one okay that’s what I think of most and here’s the percent of time, but then here’s what I think of next and the percent of time making sure the four areas add up to a total of 100% of the time that you put thought into your weight loss goal.
This content is an excerpt from our Happy, Healthy Masterclass:
