Reflection and Assessment = Winning...

H_Factor

I'm 40. It took me over 39 years to figure out how important the mental part of a healthy lifestyle is. If you discount the mental side of the journey, it will be more difficult to achieve your goals. I think spending time for reflection is an integral part of the journey. My MFP pals know that I'm really big on the importance of the mental part of this healthy lifestyle journey that we are on. On my journey, I read an article that began with a few pages on the mental part of the journey...taking some time to think about the reasons for the journey. The article stated how important it was to get the mental focus down first. At the time I read it, I skimmed through those pages wanting to simply move on to the "how do I get this dang weight off" part (my sub-title for the part on nutrition and exercise). However, as I proceeded along my journey, I did take some time to reflect and I began to realize how truly important and powerful the mental part of the journey was. At some point, I wrote my first MFP blog about creating your very own will power pill (see link below). I truly believe that doing this activity has helped me and I believe it will help you with your journey.

We've now had a week to settle into 2012. This is a good time to take a handful of minutes to reflect on some things. Start off by writing down those things you don't like about where you were at the start of your journey and, if you haven't achieved your goal yet, write down those things you don't like about where you are now. Then write down those things you plan to achieve on this journey. As you proceed on the journey, are at least 90% of your choices geared towards what you plan to achieve? If not, maybe you haven't reflected enough, dug deep enough, been honest enough with the things you don't like about your past/current lifestyle. We all have strong enough reasons to own up to ... and if we own up to them in writing, and review the what we wrote from time to time, it will help you make you make choices consistent with what you hope to achieve.

Know that achieving your goals is as simple as convincing yourself that YOU CAN. It helps to convince your mind that YOU CAN if you remind yourself of the WHY. Why are you on this journey? Be brutally honest with yourself. If you find strong enough reasons WHY you are on the journey, you will find that YOU CAN make a bunch of choices that are consistent with your goals and, with persistence and reminding yourself of WHY, you WILL achieve your goals.

Be fierce my friends

will power pill blog: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/H_Factor/view/recipe-for-a-will-power-pill-for-help-with-the-mental-part-of-the-journey-155978

garlic7girl

I so agree. I have changed how I feel about food, health, and mental image along the way of my journey. I really think this is important becasue if you allow the magazines, Hollywood and quick fixes to define your journey...then you will be defined by others standards. What do you want for your body/ How do you feel at a certain weight or fitness level? how do you cope with difficulties in your life because that is just as important since that is apart of your mental health.
Funny, each year I go further, tweak and learn about myself.
I appreciate you Fierce-Factor for teaching others to look inside and move forward!

TinaRodina

I completely agree. I recently just learned/realized just how much of the battle is actually mental.