Why you have to believe it before you can see it

We all love a good track record, don’t we? To hear someone lose 70 pounds. Or become super fit. Or thrown away their medication. They make it look so easy. All you have to do is clear out the pantry and fill it with ancient foods, and you are spot on.

Except it doesn’t work that way for most people. Most people work from a point of view that prevents them from seeing the results they are working so hard for. How often have you said to yourself: “I’m happy when I wear a smaller size.” Or “When I lose weight, I become more confident.”

In my experience, the biggest difference between people who keep breaking their goals and those who always seem to have setbacks is that scorers know how to capitalize on the feeling of having achieved something great before that great thing actually happened.

Your thoughts create your reality

It is time to change the conversation from “If I achieve my goal, I will feel good” to “When I feel good, I can achieve my goal”. Your thoughts are the greatest needle mover when it comes to changing your reality. If you want a different life, a different pants size, a different relationship with food, you have to adjust your thoughts.

Easier said than done, right? If you are new to the whole of your-mind-creating-your-reality thing, let me first say that if you believe that you really hate exercise or that you are meant to be, it is not your fault Fighting sugar cravings rest of the year is your days. ?? We all have self-limiting beliefs. Even Health trainer like me. As humans, we are wired to create narratives based on information picked up from childhood, from our family, friends or surroundings, about ourselves or how things are supposed to be. These narratives become a form of our identity. While you may think you couldn’t leave pizza and beer out if your life depended on it, you simply know that your belief system is in charge, not the truth.

Why self-efficacy and visualization work

Every thought you think and every action you take is driven by the belief that a certain outcome is possible – or not. Psychologist Albert Bandura originally proposed the concept of self-efficacy, which refers to the idea that if you believe you can make a change, you are much more likely to actually do it.

Examples of strong self-efficacy:

• See challenging problems as tasks that can and should be mastered
• Develop a deeper, more engaged interest in the activities you participate in
• Feeling committed to yourself and your goals that won’t fluctuate even when the going gets tough
• The ability to quickly get back on track after a setback

Based on this premise, author James Clear developed a concept he calls identity-based habits. It’s basically the idea that If you believe that you are the type of person who eats healthy food or takes daily exercise, it is easier to change your behaviorthan forcing yourself to pass the buns or hit the gym when you don’t want to.

And then there is the visualization. Long used by athletes, from weekend racers to Olympic champions, Visualization is a technique where you spend time practicing whatever you want to achieve in your head. That includes the big things like crossing the finish line and smaller details like lacing your shoes when it’s miserable outside.

When you actively envision what you want for yourself (and believe you can have it), you will experience more opportunities – and you will be more likely to hold out when things are not all rainbows and sunshine. According to the psychoneuromuscular theory, your nerve pathways are programmed in the same way, regardless of whether you are performing an action mentally or physically.

Mental strength to muscle strength

You have probably noticed times when your thoughts provoke a physical reaction. Keep this in mind when you get nervous. You may have pitfalls in your stomach or “butterflies” when you are excited, or your shoulders cramp when you feel stressed.

There are countless studies showing the power of the mind, including one published in Human Kinetics Journals in which researchers examined the electromyographic activity (EMG) of 22 male and 17 female weightlifters and found that their muscles were activated (and their strength increased )) just by imagining lifting weights.

And in another study where two groups were asked to do “mental contractions” of fingers and elbows while one group did the physical equivalent. Over the course of 12 weeks, the first two groups had increased their strength by up to 35% just by imagining the exercises, versus 53% for people doing them physically.

How to Create a Believe-It-To-See-It Mindset

Call it visualization, creation, or self-efficacy, the point is, your mind is an amazing tool for laying the foundation for the life you want. If you’re open to the idea that you can believe it before you see it, check out these steps:

1. Exit autopilot mode.
   Our brain has an unconscious system for doing routine tasks. It’s just one of the ways it saves us from being overwhelmed with decisions. The problem is that when we are not aware of what we are doing (or thinking), we are doing the same thing day in and day out and thinking, which makes it hard to see something that is different from your current reality.TRY THIS: The next time you do a routine task, like brushing your teeth or scrolling social media, use your non-dominant hand. This will help you stay in the moment and see things in a different way.
2. Practice it mentally.
   This is not about dreaming that you won the lottery or crossed the finish line in Boston. This is about mentally going through the steps (and the ups and downs that can occur) that will lead you to your goal. Basically, it is a way of reassuring yourself in the safety of your mind that you are prepared for anything that might happen.TRY THIS: If weight loss is your goal, try making a healthy breakfast when you’re short on time or navigating a party with limited dining options. If your goal is to be more confident, meet new people – and feel great interacting with them.
3. Take coordinated action.
   Once you start believing that you can lose the weight, or talk to strangers in line at the store, or do some PR, you will instinctively want to act. Because you saw it in your head – and your neural pathways programmed themselves as if you did – the steps you need to take will feel easier and more natural.TRY THIS: Start with baby steps. Instead of focusing on the ultimate goal, get present and tick off the little tasks like lace up your running shoes in the morning, sitting down for an epic protein-rich breakfast, or asking a complete stranger how their day is going.

Everything starts with belief

If you are operating from the point of view you need to see to believe (and not get the results you want), consider another tactic. One that will put you in the high swinging feeling of accomplishing your goal by following these steps:

1. Exit autopilot mode
2. Practice it mentally
3. Take coordinated measures

What about you? Do you have to see it first? Or do you believe completely?

About the author

Erin Power is the coaching and curriculum director for Primal Health Coach Institute. She also helps her clients reestablish a loving and trusting relationship with their bodies – while restoring their metabolic health so they can lose fat and gain energy – through her own private health coaching practice. eat. simply.

If you are passionate about health and wellness and have a desire to help people like Erin does for her clients every day, consider becoming a self-certified health coach. In this article, learn the 3 simple steps to building a successful health coaching business in 6 months or less special info session hosted by PHCI co-founder Mark Sisson.

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