A Few Simple Words

“I really gotta start eating properly.”

“I need to start exercising more.”

“I have to stop eating so much [fast food, junk food, soda pop, sugar...]!”

How many of you have said something like this before? How many of you have found yourself saying these types of things over and over again but found that it just never happens? You just never seem to start what you said you need to start or stop what you said you needed to stop? I’m sure every single one of you can answer in the affirmative to these questions. We’ve all been there, myself included. These are not uncommon statements to hear people saying to themselves to those around them when they know they need to make a change in their lives. While these sentiments are honourable and it is obvious the person means what they say, these types of statements, unfortunately, are not motivating statements. Time and time again these things simply will not come to fruition.

Can you see what’s missing from these statements? Intention. “I have to”, “I need to”, “I really gotta”, are all statements of information. They do not infer any intention to DO what they say.  There is no motivation found in those words.  Now take a look at the same three statements, rewritten below, and see if you spot the difference:

“I will start eating properly.”

“I am going to start exercising more.”

“I am not going to eat so much [fast food, junk food, soda pop, sure…]!”

Do you see the difference? While these statements may seem very similar to the original, there is one significant difference. These all now have intent. They are not simple information, they are statements of intent, of motivation.  “I will start” is an act of doing, not just saying. It is now, not future. It is true intent and is a promise to oneself.

When I began gaining weight again, I kept telling myself and my wife that “I gotta get back into my low-carb lifestyle” but this statement didn’t make me do it. Then one day I realized what I was saying, and I simply changed that statement to “I am going to get back into my low-carb lifestyle!” Guess what? It worked! It was amazing. It was a simple mental shift in my thinking and that was all I needed to actually get it going!

We all know what we need to change in our lives to make our lives/family/health better. The difference is to stop saying what we ‘gotta’ start doing and just determine to do it. So stop telling yourself what you need to do, and tell yourself what you’re going to do! It’s the easy matter of choosing the right words. A few simple words can make the most wonderful change in your life.

So, what is it that you ARE going to do?

Image: Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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