Before making any healthy lifestyle changes it is best to qualify yourself to see if the change is going to stick (or not). First ask yourself these four questions.
- Am I going to enjoy this? – spending time performing tasks that you hate in order to achieve an end result is no way to live. The joy you experience along the way is the reward as much as the end result. If you are not going to enjoy the process, then you are going down the wrong path. Look for other ways to achieve what you want. This question speaks to how honest you are about your motivation.
- Is this sustainable? – Any lifestyle change has to be permanent in order to be effective. If you are looking at making changes that are only going to last a few months then you are asking for too much. Small consistent changes over time are the best way to go. This question relates to how realistic you are about what you want to achieve.
- What am I ready to let go of? – Whenever you make a change in your life you are adding something new. To make room for a new habit, an old way of thinking or behaving has to go. Permanently. This question speaks strongly to a persons level of commitment to the desired changes.
- Do I listen to my body? – There is often a large discrepancy between what our minds want for our body and what our body wants for itself. Your body is constantly giving you messages about what works for it and what does not. Learning to pay attention to and listen to these signals is crucial to long term success. This question relates to self awareness and learning to filter the external information so you know what is true for you and what is not.
Being able to answer these questions can help focus your actions along a path that will ultimately be more successful.