The Challenges of Making Change & the Power of our thoughts

I like to think I am a self aware person.

The last few weeks has showed me how wrong I am.

As many of you would have done at the start of the year, I had a think about the things I would like to do more of, the kinds of things I would like to commit to just to see what will happen.

Low and behold, we are almost entering the third month and I have not really been able to stick to what I set out to do.

First I want to say that even as a certified nutritionist who coaches other people to improve their lifestyles and make changes in their lives, I of course still struggle to make changes in my own life because we are all human.

Making changes is difficult which is why people and services like coaches, teachers and mentors exist.

Secondly, I am not feeling guilty about the fact I have not done exactly what I envisioned as many of us tend to feel.

I am saddened by the fact people call themselves out as failures in times like this.

It doesn't help, it honestly just makes you feel like sh*t.

I never set a clear, set in stone goal that I NEEDED to reach because I knew I need flexibility and that you can't do absolutely everything you want to either.

However, after listening to podcasts, reading books, making mistakes, sitting in discomfort and journaling some of my experiences and thoughts, I revert back to a lesson that keeps smacking me around the face.

It's a hard pill to swallow. But once you swallow it I imagine that you start facing the truth a little more - which might be what you need or make you dig a hole deeper into ignorance.

I strongly believe that we can be and are our own barriers.

If I take my personal experience (which I'm sure many can resonate with), I found that the little voice in my head would start to paint the picture that not doing something, not making the change, staying exactly the way I am, is better off.

And once those thoughts start to creep in after a weeks of not being so consistent or finding things harder to do, the thoughts telling you it's better to stay the same act like a comfort blanket.

Its the exact words the 'present you' wants to hear.

This isn't about never taking a day off or always trying to be perfect.

This is about reverting back to your old ways and routines as a comfort strategy to avoid the discomfort of having to make the change.

Whatever that change might be.

It might be going to the gym and all of a sudden there's more people than usual so it becomes a little more intimidating and embarrassing.

It might be wanting to start your own fashion account and getting no engagement on your posts so you don't think it's worth taking the time to post everyday.

It might be ordering takeaways more often than cooking at home because you were ill the week prior and you enjoy not having to take the time to cook.

Whenever there is a slight glitch, something that makes the change slightly harder to keep moving forward, you have one of two options.

Notice the tension, feel the discomfort and decide that staying the same and being comfortable is what 'current you' needs.

Or

Notice the tension, feel the discomfort and tell yourself it's a small spanner in the works that you can overcome.

The first one feels a lot better in the moment.

But in a way, it's a lie to yourself.

I know this all sounds very 'fitness-bro motivation'.

And something I really want to highlight is that I do not mean this in the way where you apply it religiously to a goal like dieting and hitting your calories.

That's a whole other topic for conversation.

And one challenge in making change itself is knowing what you want to change and choosing the right goals for you.

No one can decide that for you, and you will know it's not the right goal for you if it's making you miserable and is based off self comparison, limiting beliefs, envy and more.

The point of this email was to get you to think about the role you and your thoughts play in your life.

We forget just how important our thoughts are in our day to day life despite the impact they can have.

Are you lying to yourself?

Are you keeping yourself in your comfort zone?

Do you want to stay there?

Maybe some thoughts are coming up for you as you read this email. I encourage you splurge your thoughts out on paper, get them out of your head and just explore the contents of your mind, you might find an answer you weren't expecting.

I know journaling sounds like an old school hippie task but it can really help...

I hope this article has helped you take a moment and reflect on whether or not you are holding yourself back and keeping yourself under a comfort blanket.

Although it feels warm, you need to decide whether it's where you want you to stay.

And if it's not, then decide the practical steps you need to take to slowly but surely get you to where you want to be.

We will go over this in another article!!

Let's thrive crew,

Elsa Makolli