I understand if you’re skeptical. A few years ago, if you had told me that overcoming my limiting beliefs was the key to lasting fat loss, I’d have dismissed you. I’d have rolled my eyes at your “woo woo” bullshit.
But, it was true.
Yes, I had a food issue. I had an over-eating issue. I had an all-or-nothing issue. I had an emotional eating issue. However, those issues were symptoms of an underlying problem tied to my own limiting beliefs.
I am certain that one of the primary reasons people are inconsistent and fail to create change (even when they want it desperately) is their pattern of focusing on changing their choices instead of focusing on changing their beliefs.
You can’t escape this true:
Your choices stem from what you believe. Your actions, decisions, reactions and thoughts stem from what you believe.
If you choose to believe and focus on the problem and the limitation, you’re going to move in that direction. You’re going to act in accordance with those thoughts.
For most of my life, my limiting beliefs about food and my body were pervasive and constant:
I’m an emotional eater
I’m totally an all-or-nothing person
I can lose weight, I just can’t keep it off
My metabolism is jacked up
I turn to food for comfort
I’ve always been “the big girl”
Wouldn’t ya know: my body reflected those beliefs! My choices reflected those beliefs!
In my late twenties, I decided to get out of debt. I had student loans, car loans and some miscellaneous credit cards. It took a little over a year, but through discipline and determination, I made it happen. My beliefs about the process were a huge part of it. I thought:
I’m making this happen
There will be ups and downs, but I’m not quitting
It’s worth the short term sacrifice for the long-term reward
I’m not stopping until the debt is gone
What would have happened without those beliefs? What if I thought about getting out of debt the way I was thinking about food and my weight?
What’s the point?
It’ll take too long
Something always comes up!
I messed up my budget this month – I’ve totally blown in
If I had those limiting beliefs about money, it would have never happened! Ever!
Fortunately, you are the thinker. You are not your thoughts. You can absolutely overcome any and all over your limiting beliefs if you’re willing to do the work.
Begin by identifying what you want.
What is the change you want to create?
Who do you want to be?
What does the ideal version of you look/act/feel like?
Identify the beliefs that are limiting your ability to create that change.
What thoughts or feelings run counter to those goals and desires?
In what ways are you blocking your belief or limiting your potential?
Establish new thoughts that drive new possibilities and expand your potential.
If you were that version of yourself, what would you believe?
What is possible?
How can you support and encourage the change you want to make?
Admittedly, this is just a starting point. Sometimes, your limiting beliefs feel like fact. Often, the new beliefs don’t feel real, true or possible for you. That’s normal and it’s part of the process. In fact, it just goes to show the influence of those limiting beliefs and reinforces your need to break free from them!
If you want to take the next step in overcoming your limiting thought patterns, listen to episode 571 of the Primal Potential podcast. Not only will we go deeper into the patterns of these beliefs, you’ll hear me coach current clients through their own limiting beliefs and learn more about working with me to do the same in your own life!
Do you need to get motivated? Are you struggling with motivation and feel like change would be so much easier if you could just get & stay motivated? I’ve totally got you covered!
This past Wednesday, I wasn’t feeling motivated at all. It was one of those days when I just wanted to sit around and do nothing, but I needed to get a lot of stuff done. I quickly shifted my thoughts from, “Ugh, I’m not motivated today” to “How can I fire up my motivation?“
I pulled up a webinar from a couple years ago that was all about how to get motivated and I sat there like a student, watching it and putting myself through the paces.
At the start of the training, I shared this idea from Brendon Burchard’s book The Motivation Manifesto.
He explains that motivation is a lot like fire. Though you have fire when you strike a match, the fire only last a few seconds unless you do something with it. That spark of motivation won’t last either…unless you DO something with it.
Burchard describes 3 essential phases of motivation.
Spark
Sustain
Amplify
When we think about motivation, most of us only consider the spark – those moments when we feel really inspired and amped up. Then, when the spark fizzles, we feel less powerful and bemoan the fact that we aren’t motivated.
As we take a closer look at each of those phases, it’s super easy to see where we need to put our effort to create that motivational fire and keep it burning strong.
Spark: Ambition + Expectancy
Sustain: Attention + Effort
Amplify: Attitude + Environment
Last Wednesday, when I wasn’t motivated to get my work done, I could see that my effort and my attitude were the areas I needed to improve, so I got to work.
First: I changed my attitude from, “Ugh, I’m not motivated!” to “I am going to feel SO accomplished when I get this one thing done! I’m just a few minutes away from progress.“
Then, I applied some effort and it made all the difference. I set the timer on my phone for 35 minutes and banged it out.
Those two shifts broke me out of my funk.
Where Does Motivation Fall Through the Cracks?
When we look at those elements: ambition, expectancy, attention, effort, attitude and environment, there are a few common areas where motivation falls flat.
The ambition part is easy – we want to improve. We know the goal. But do we expect to achieve it? Do you expect to achieve it? Do you expect to be successful?
Or are you expecting to struggle or fail?
Expectancy might be your area for improvement.
Most of us are fairly solid on the attention piece. We know what we want and we think about it often. We plan, strategize and keep it top of mind.
But how about effort? Are you applying yourself? Doing the work?
Effort might be the very piece of the puzzle that needs your time and energy.
Attitude and environment almost always have room for improvement.
Does your attitude suck? Are you being negative? Complaining? Focusing on your limitations?
Are you surrounding yourself with other complainers? Is your physical space chaotic?
How You Can Get Motivated Today
Look at those elements of motivation and be honest about where you need to create an improvement. Go through each one and identify where you’re dropping the ball or where you need to apply some energy. Assess where you stand on each of them.
Ambition
Expectancy
Attention
Effort
Attitude
Environment
Where can you create a change right now?
Because these elements are such universal game changers, we work on every single one of these inside the 12 Weeks to Transformation. Every single one, every single week.
These have the power to change every single aspect of your life: your health, happiness, career, finances & relationships.
Registration opens up for the next 12 Weeks to Transformation in just a couple weeks so make sure you’re on the wait list if you want to learn more and get some insider sneak peaks!
Whether you think you’re a drama queen or you’re sure you’re not, you MUST listen to today’s podcast! Drama is draining and every single one of us has room for improvment in our creation of and response to drama.
Drama takes the form of assumptions, gossip, worry, rumination over the past and so much more. In case you’re still convinced that you’re not a drama queen, let’s take a minute to get on the same page.
Clarifying for the Drama Queen:
Cy Wakeman defines drama as emotional waste and describes drama as mentally wasteful thought processes and unproductive behaviors that keep you from your potential. Drama includes:
Lack of ownership, accountability or committment
Blaming circumstances or other people for your lack of results
Arguing with circumstances that are non-negotiable
Resistance to change
Spreading gossip
Projecting (and believing) made up stories instead of focusing on facts
Defensiveness to feedback
Dealing with hurt feelings
Questions for the Drama Queen:
Is this mine or someone else’s?
Am I doing something productive about it?
Is this my business or someone else’s business?
Am I trying to control someone else’s thoughts or behaviors?
What actually happened without my story?
What do I know for sure?
What’s my part in this?
What are my ideas for resolving the issue?
Am I grounded in reality?
What am I doing today to resolve this?
Other powerful ideas from “No Ego” and today’s episode:
“Venting is your ego’s way of avoiding self-reflection.”
“Your ego is brilliant at finding insult where none is intended.”
In October 2019, our relationship with Thrive Market changed. They decided to put their marketing dollars in avenues outside of podcasting but we still think they’re a good choice if you’re looking to save money on health & personal care products.
Growth and change will both require facing your fears. Progress demands that you face your fears.
Personally, I believe that fear is a doorway. Whether we’re talking about fear of failure, fear of judgement, fear of missing out or any other fear, it is a doorway.
Do you go through the doorway of the fear or do you remain on the other side, letting fear stop you and allowing it to limit your life, your growth, your happiness and your relationships?
In today’s listener Q&A episode, I’m introducing the newest Primal Potential team member and we are sharing honestly how this transition has required both of us to face our fears and step through the doorway of fear.
We’re also answering your questions about:
overcoming emotional eating and the story of the struggle
leaving your job to start a new business
whether or not there are truly foods that make it more difficult to remain in control
adding vegetables to protein shakes
which veggies are best raw versus cooked
One of the major things I did recently to face my own fears was make three significant financial investments in Primal Potential.
I hired a new team member (you meet her on today’s episode)
I joined a $30,000 business mastermind
I hired a business coach
Talk about facing your fears! These kinds of major financial investments have always been scary to me. However – here’s what they did for me: they forced me to level up. They demanded a next-level committment and performance from me. They were big and scary enough to help me think bigger and work smarter.
How are you facing your fears? What will you do about it today? If you’re ready to face your fears and make some changes, think about joining me for our next 12 Weeks to Transformation!
Get on the wait list to learn more about ASCEND, Primal Potential’s weekend workshop! And save the date! November 8-10 in downtown Portland, Oregon – right on the waterfront! It’s a weekend that will change your life!
Recently, I shared in one of the Primal Potential VIP emails a personal growth mantra that inspires the heck out of me:
If you want to double your income, triple your growth.
To me, this doesn’t mean triple the growth of your business, it means triple your personal growth.
I believe this has much broader appeal.
If you want to double your rate of progress in any area of life, triple your personal growth.
If you want to 2x the quality of your relationships, triple your personal growth.
Without fail, one of the ways that I create personal growth every single day is via the circle of achievers inside the 12 Weeks to Transformation and the Primal Potential Masters Club. In fact, that might be one of the most powerful ways I create daily personal growth.
Recently, of my 12 WT clients shared someone that helped me grow tremendously, and we’re exploring it as a personal growth strategy in today’s episode. This is one you can apply immediately and with incredible results.
Here’s the post that started it all:
In today’s episode we’ll be walking throug how this perspective can be applied to health, fitness, fat loss, relationships, careers and more. Through it’s immediate application, you will reduce stress & frustration and accelerate your progress toward any goal! This is a must-hear episode!
Are you in the Primal Potential Facebook group? Join us there to discuss today’s episode, create motivation, help each other grow and so much more!
Listen to episode 521 to hear more about how you can get out of debt no matter how much you make (and learn about my sister Debi’s journey to becoming debt free!)
Listen to episode 548 for more tools that will help you overcome frustration, accelerate progress and facilitate personal growth.
