Importance and Positivity
Make a list of the top 5 to 7 of the most important things in your life to worry about. Rank them from most important to least.
| # | MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN YOUR LIFE | RANKING (10 is tops) |
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 | ||
| 6 | ||
| 7 | ||
| 8 | ||
| 9 | ||
| 10 |
| These will now stay as your Primary worry buttons the rest we are not allowed to worry about this will ensure your Success.
This will make you prioritize and stay positive. |
Remember if Everything is Important, Nothing is. Stick to the list. |
You can even with a friend have them gently pinch you to show you when you go off course. You will be surprised how many pinches they will get.
For years, I’ve applied the principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to my own life with phenomenal results. Basically, CBT explains how we can change our behavior by changing our thoughts. Overeating (behavior) can be changed by challenging our irrational thinking and replacing it with rational thoughts. There are many types of thinking that undermine our success. Let’s explore some of these habits of thought, so we can learn to break the habit and think in new ways.
| THE BIGGEST THING WE SEE AT CAMP IS THAT PEOPLE DEFLECT FROM THEIR PURPOSE, GOAL , REASON, AND IF THEY LET THEMSELVES THEY WILL FIND DEFLECTION (EXCUSES) NOT TO SUCCEED. |
| “IN LIFE YOU GET OUT WHAT YOU PUT IN” THIS GOES DOUBLE FOR NEGATIVITY AND REVERSELY POSITIVITY”. |
Filtering: Seeing life through a negative lens and ignoring the positive.
- Example: I lost five pounds, but I wanted to lose ten.
- Positive substitution: I’m five pounds closer to my goal.
Polarized thinking: Viewing situations as all good or all bad.
- Example: I couldn’t get my favorite treadmill today; it was a complete waste of time to go to the gym.
- Positive substitution: Because the treadmill wasn’t available, I decided to participate in the yoga class for the first time.
Overgeneralizing: Reaching a general conclusion based on one piece of evidence.
- Example: I gained a pound this week; I may as well quit trying.
- Positive substitution: I’m working out and adding muscle; some weeks, I’m bound to gain weight.
Catastrophizing: Expecting the worst possible outcomes.
- Example: The holidays are coming up, and I know I’m going to gain weight.
- Positive substitution: I will continue to work out and pursue my fitness goals during the holidays.
The key is understanding that you can change your behavior by changing your thoughts. To change your thoughts, you have to control them. To control them, you have to be in charge of what you say to yourself.
You Also Have to Be Your Own Cheering Section
It would be awesome if we all had a cheering section following us around all day… maybe they could even play our own personalized badass theme music as they trailed behind us. Unfortunately, we don’t. The majority of the time what we have following us around is our inner voice, and way too often it’s not that motivational. In fact, sometimes we say things to ourselves that we would never say to our worst enemy. It’s this negative self-talk, more than anything, that undermines our success. To stay on the path toward your goals, you don’t only need to be your own cheering section, but you have to be your own best friend, your own parent, coach, counselor, and overall advocate. You have to know that you’re on trial for your health, fitness, and happiness, and your defense attorney decided not to show. It’s up to you.
The first thing you need to do is be aware of what you’re saying to yourself. When we discover those things we’re going to hold on tight to the good stuff and replace the negatives with positives.
Exercise: Start and keep an Inner Dialogue Journal.
Stop at certain points during the day and notice what you say to yourself about yourself. Literally make an appointment, say, right before and a meal and write down what’s going inside and WRITE IT DOWN in a journal. Then pick different times throughout the day to check in with yourself. Mix it up to see how you’re feeling and what you’re saying at various points in the day.
What Do You Want to Hear?
If we’re going to replace negatives with positives, we have to discover what is positive to you. What is it that you want to hear? Let’s start with something fun:
- Think of the best compliment you’ve ever received.
- It could be anything – a kind word about how you look, appreciation for something you’ve done, an expression of love, or any other words that made you feel good.
- Now close your eyes and sit with the memory. Hear the words in your mind. If you’re alone, say them aloud. How do you feel? Are you relaxed? Do you have a smile on your face? Do you feel happy? What is your mood? Now just hold onto this feeling, sit with it for a few more moments.
Now, I want you to do the unthinkable… compliment yourself. Yes, you can do that. You don’t have to wait for someone else to do it. You have the power to make yourself feel appreciated, loved, sexy, and motivated. You have the power to pull the plug on negative thoughts and plug in the things you really want to hear. I know this might be new to you, so I’m going to get you started, but if you don’t want to use any of these, pick your own⎯they’re your compliments.
You look _______________!
(fabulous, terrific, amazing, stupendous, tremendous, superb, svelte, irresistible, downright sexy, ridiculously gorgeous, freaking hot as hell)
Let’s try another one:
You are ________________!
(strong, kind, loving, inspiring, dedicated, charming, hardworking, reliable, heroic, irresistible, a machine, a total badass)
Again, use your own of course. Although if “competent,” “average,” or “punctual” make your list, you may want to aim a little higher.
