How to Prepare Mentally To Achieve Your Health Goals
From working with many clients over the years, I’ve noticed a trend. Many people start their new weight loss or health journey at a sprint, without mentally preparing for what it’s going to take. I’ve also noticed that there are not a lot of YouTube clips or Instagram posts that talk about the mindset necessary to prepare for a big journey.
Jumping into a new lifestyle is a big deal. It takes a lot of energy and you have to be in the right mental space to be able to have a successful journey.
I want to share a few healthy mindsets to help you as you get started.
Mindset #1 - Don’t compare yourself with others
A friend once told me that “comparison is the thief of joy.” Comparing ourselves to others is what brings us down so much of the time. Instagram can be a huge culprit in this. As you are scrolling and seeing a new post every second, you’re often comparing yourself to others, one after another, after another. This is also true with movies. I live in California and my church is in Hollywood. It’s common to see beautiful people walking around all the time and it’s so easy to compare.
Guard yourself from comparing yourself to others.
Mindset #2 - Don’t compare yourself to your younger self
This can happen for your whole life, if you let it continue. You compare to your younger self and long to be that younger person again. I hear people say all the time, “When I was a teenager, I could eat whatever I want. My waist was a size two. I looked so good.” Or, “When I was in my twenties, I looked great, I had a booty, I didn’t have to work for it. But now look at me, I eat a potato chip and I blow up.”
These kinds of words towards yourself can be really dangerous. They can pull you down and discourage you. If you use your younger self as your standard, it’s going to be really hard to achieve that goal. You’re going to start off your journey on the wrong foot and it’s going to be very difficult.
As a mental picture of this, imagine you are on a beach and you start to walk into the ocean. Some beaches have a long gradual incline and you can walk slowly out into deeper water. But some beaches have a sudden steep drop. If you step into the water on these beaches, you will immediately fall.
This is how I think of the health journey when you start with comparison. It’s like stepping off a cliff into deep water. You are setting yourself up to fall.
Mindset #3 - Be progress-oriented and not goal-oriented
The problem with being goal-oriented is that you are never happy until you reach your goal. This makes the journey pretty miserable.
Then, once you reach the goal, usually you can only enjoy it for a short time before you want more. Maybe you get a second, a day, or possibly a week of satisfaction, but then you’re going to need the next goal or the next thing. So you’re never satisfied.
It can also be really hard to stay motivated after the goal is reached. Let’s say you had a specific weight loss or cholesterol goal, or you were training to run a marathon. If that goal is all that motivated you and gave you momentum, then once the goal is reached, it’s over. You might stop running or take a break from exercise. Or you celebrate your weight loss goal by eating a lot of unhealthy food. This happens all the time for many people and it’s what is at the root of yoyo-dieting.
The key is to be progress-oriented. With a progress mindset, you’re more focused on getting better throughout the journey and on the little sub-goals. Thinking this way means that once you reach your goal, it doesn’t matter as much. You’re just going to continue to keep progressing.
You are never going to be perfect. No one is ever perfect. If you are progress-oriented, you are always going to be searching and reaching for a better you, challenging yourself and growing. And this will be more fun! You will enjoy continually becoming a healthier and better version of yourself.
Mindset #4 - Celebrate the wins!
Celebrate all the wins, not just the big ones! Celebrate the small ones too.
As my husband can tell you, I love celebrations and parties. I love any moment to celebrate anything because, in my opinion, life is too short to only celebrate the big things. Celebrating the small wins is what will keep you going.
Here’s an example. In the past five years, I started running. When I started out, I couldn’t even run half a mile without my left knee hurting. I grew up playing tennis, so my left knee is a little messed up and starting to run was difficult. But I progressed little by little, I went from not even being able to run half a mile to running a mile, then two miles, three miles, and finally running six half marathons and two marathons.
I celebrated every little win along the way. If I ran a mile or two miles for the first time, I would do something fun or call a friend or just do something to make it special. If I hadn’t celebrated the small wins and only celebrated once I completed the race, the journey would not have been as fun.
This is also why it’s important to have a health or accountability partner on your journey. This way, you have someone other than yourself to tell you the truth and point out when you’re making progress.
Sometimes, when it’s just us, we can be really hard on ourselves. This is how I grew up and I know many people can relate. I was critical of everything I did and if I didn’t do everything perfect, then it wasn’t okay.
For me, it really helps to have a buddy. My buddies are my husband and a group of close friends who tell me the truth when I’m down on myself. They help me celebrate the small wins that I don’t see.
If this was helpful for you and you want to learn more, or need a coach on your health journey, I’d love to hear from you! Send me an email at cktan@verticalmovementwellness.com or message me on Instagram @verticalmovementwellness. I’d love to connect and support you.
Your Health Coach,
Dr. Cindy Kimmi Tan