Who Do You Think You Are?
How we think of ourselves…who we believe we are…is often one of the most resistant obstacles to changing our behavior. When we believe that our behaviors are unchangeable, we easily give up and say to ourselves, “I knew I could never do that.”
To explore how your beliefs might be holding you back from achieving your goals, take a few moments to reflect on the following statements.
Keep in mind two things:
No matter where you assess yourself now, there is an opportunity to improve with practice.
There is no right way to respond.
Are these rarely true, often true, or very usually true for you?
Don’t feel the need to be exact but consider a response that seems like a reasonable assessment.
I can’t maintain an exercise program.
I’m not the kind of person that can stick to my goals.
I get more distracted than the average person.
I need more time to prepare healthy food.
I can’t maintain a healthy lifestyle because of the challenges in my life.
My mind is too busy to get a good night’s sleep.
If these statements don’t relate to your particular healthy habit, consider habits that do. One way to begin might be to become aware of the silent messages you send to yourself. Tip: These messages become more noticeable when we experience a setback or think of giving up.
What To Do Next
Pay attention to the silent messages you send yourself related to your goals. As these messages come to your awareness, take a moment to reflect on these questions:
How do I know it is true?
What evidence/information would suggest that it may not be true? For example, are there situations where you acted in a different way than this belief means?
2. Then, visualize your changes if this limiting belief were false.
As you reflect on how you think of yourself, remember that these beliefs are a powerful predictor of how you live your life. What you believe you can achieve is the secret, invisible guidance system that governs your behavior.
