If I had a big picture message to put out there, it’s that working towards better health is a process.

There is no destination; it’s all about the journey, your health journey.

It’s o.k. to have concrete goals such as losing a little extra weight, reducing inflammation, addressing digestive upset… but coming at better health with an all or nothing approach is like saying you can cut your lawn just once and be done it.

To achieve -and most importantly, maintain- the desired outcome, the process must be ongoing.

Like any process, whether it be learning to play the piano, learning a new language or driving a car we all have to start at the beginner stage, go through those uncomfortable learning phases and eventually one day we realize that we’ve integrated it.

The same can be expected when you’re learning new food and lifestyle habits. It’s a process.

It’s so easy to fall back into old comfortable habits. It WILL happen and it’s even fun to take a break once in awhile.

The key is to return to the process, to realign with your original goals, to recommit and celebrate how far you’ve come.

Clients that adopt this long-haul approach and manage to recommit are invariably the ones that create the most success for themselves.
After all, even one new healthy habit a year will add up to noticeably better health when you take a big picture view.

All of this requires some creativity and most importantly, self-kindness.

I often urge clients to watch their self-talk. If you’re not sure what that means, just tune in to your internal dialogue. Would you talk to a friend that way?

To begin practicing the self-loving before you’ve reached the desired outcome is extremely powerful. It’s as if our bodies respond to kind self-thoughts and resist punishing, nasty self-talk.

I see it again and again. If the client’s attitude is harsh, demanding and punitive, the body resists, and they self-sabotage. The – I’ll only be happy when… – attitude doesn’t work.

Perfectionism has no place in a sustainable process.

Enthusiasm however has a different vibe to it. Enthusiasm ties in with playfulness and curiosity. Not with tedious work or punishment or rigidity.

When we’re focused on process, the whole lens changes and we can approach our goals with a sense of adventure and self-discovery.

Do something today that your future self will thank you for.
Please join me if you think you’re ready to start your process.

Share this with someone you love.