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New year, new me, right?
It’s a new year, and many people want to be a “new me.” Why not be a “better me?”
Become a better version of yourself this year! Start with your mind and work your way out.
I know, you’re probably thinking “Christyna, what does this have to do with my diet?”
I am so glad you asked! In order to change your diet, your life, or anything else, you first have to change your mind. We can’t get to new places, with an old mindset. So together we’re going to learn some new ways of thinking.
Reject Negative Thoughts
When I say this, I mean, remove all the power from negative thoughts. Silence that little voice that tells you you can’t, or that you’re not good enough. Stop. Instead, challenge that thought with something positive. You are good. You are capable. You are valuable. What we think of ourselves and our capabilities directly affects our reality. If you think to yourself “I’ll never lose this weight.” Guess what? You probably won’t. Because you didn’t think you could.
This is called self-efficacy: the inner belier that one is capable and has what is necessary to complete a course of action. Simply put, having the self confidence to complete a task even if challenges arise along the way. Without this self-confidence reaching your goals becomes so much harder.
In order to move forward we can’t hold on to what has happened in the past. Change happens one decision at a time. So we’re going to decide what to change and how to change it together!
So what are we going to do instead listening to our inner critic? I’m so glad you asked!
An Attitude of Gratitude
Gratitude gives us the opportunity to have joy regardless of the circumstances. It reminds us to look beyond what we’re currently facing, and remember that things will get better if we keep going!
This positive mindset is essential to making lifestyle changes like improving nutrition (!) and engaging in physical activity. Both of these require us to be graceful with ourselves. Remember that change doesn’t happen over night, it the sum of repeated small decisions.
So let’s start each day with gratitude. Let’s make the small, but impactful, and life-changing decision to be grateful. Starting your day with a thankful heart sets the tone for everything that follows. I suggest you write this down in a notebook (like this one, or this one
I will suggest that we’re writing down non-material objects. I don’t mean that you can’t be grateful for your car, because it’s appropriate and acceptable to be grateful for transportation, but these things come and go. Instead let’s opt for things like your health, a loved one, extra sleep, conversations, etc. These things that enrich our lives and create lasting memories.
Plan of Action
Every day for the next 30 days we’re going to be grateful for at least 3 things! They can be big or small. I want to hear about them, send me a dm or tweet me: Instagram or twitter. Each day we’re going to set a goal: drink more water, get more servings of fruits and vegetables, be physically active for 30 minutes, get more rest. Whatever you need. And at the end of the month we’re going to look back and see what progress we’ve made and what made us thankful in the first month of 2018!
Hopefully through this we’ll also learn to give ourselves more grace. Each day is a clean slate, so there is no punishment for what happened yesterday. If I don’t make a choice towards progress for breakfast that’s okay. I have another opportunity at lunch.The goal is to create an environment in our minds that fosters change, and gives grace for missteps. So how can I help you with gratitude this month? How can I help you make healthier decisions? Leave me a comment below, or send me an email! I can’t wait to hear your goals!!
Today is the best day to change your life!
