How to improve

I don’t know about you, but I am always interested in improving myself and trying to live to my potential, even if I fall woefully short, it doesn’t stop me from trying.

Last week I went to the BW Nice (a women’s networking group that double duties as a fundraiser and awareness builder for domestic and sexual abuse safe houses) Empowerment: Limitless Possibilities conference.

The keynote and some of the breakout sessions were truly inspiring and had great take aways.

They reminded me that you really have to think differently if you want to persevere and grow. I’m big into personal growth and development – I love that stuff!

The speakers, in one way or another, talked about how, in order to move past your current state, you cannot rely on your feelings or emotions and that there are strategies and techniques that you can employ to help you move forward.

For instance, Debbie Weiss, coach and author of “On second thought, maybe I can”, taught us that you cannot play victim! You must take responsibility for your thoughts and actions. Then she gave us a short activity to help the participants discover where in our lives we were, perhaps, blaming others for our circumstances, when in reality, these circumstances were choices that we made.

It’s the same with your health and fitness.

When someone chimed in that she “wanted to walk In mornings” but she “couldn’t do it because of X,X and X” she feel right into the “blame something else for my current situation”

Somewhere in our lives it’s likely that we all do this to one extent or another.

If you catch yourself saying “I can’t exercise/eat better/go to bed on time/etc. because my husband/child/boss/job is in my way” try Debbie’s little trick:

Turn the “I can’t exercise” into “I won’t exercise” and see how that sits with you.

Any time you catch yourself being unsatisfied in your current circumstances try the “I can’t vs. I won’t” game and see what happens next!