I love mountain biking! But mountain biking may not be your thing. I believe it’s important to have an active “thing” that helps you stay motivated, focused, and having fun. Even better if that “thing” changes with the seasons! It’s called the change process.
There are literally thousands of groups and organizations you can connect with, that host events virtually every week. Finding a group or outlet like this is critical to your transformation. Now I’m not talking transformation in the traditional “Beach Body” or “Weight Loss” sense.
Having a great-looking body and losing a few pounds is definitely a nice side effect or bonus, but I’m a firm believer that having these as your primary goal is a recipe for disaster. For long-term success (and happiness), there must be more to your goals. Just ask around to see how many weight loss and fitness New Year’s Resolutions were achieved…and maintained.
When I talk about REAL transformation, I’m talking about sustainable, measurable change in each of the 4 Pillars of Performance (Mindset, Habits, Movement, Fuel)
If you’ve read The Fitness Curveball book, you already know that the Mindset and Habits pillars are the most critical, but often overlooked.
Our mindset is the filter through which we see the world. In the Mindset Mastery Workshop, you will learn strategies that will support you in cultivating a mindset that creates opportunities and success in your life.
In their 2010 book Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, Chip and Dan Heath layout a fantastic framework for creating and directing change. Their approach comprises three steps: logical, emotional, and practical. Three aspects are present in any change process. As funny as it sounds, they use the analogy of a person riding an elephant… and it makes complete sense.
This approach to change helps you get the right things done, at the right time, while setting up a solid framework for success. To help frame the following points, picture a person riding on top of an elephant, trying to steer it in the desired direction.
Step 1: Direct the rider
The “rider” is the logical, rational, and strategic aspect of change.
At the beginning of any change process, we must determine what’s currently working, help people get moving in the right direction with simple, practical, and effective steps, as well as paint a vivid picture of what success looks like in the near future (not too far out yet).
Success in directing the rider involves:
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“Finding the bright spots”
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“Scripting the critical first moves”
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“Sending a postcard of the destination”.
Step 2: Motivate the Elephant
This refers to the emotional aspects of change (are elephants emotional?), and where things get a little more complicated for many people. Notice how the analogy creates a striking size difference between the “rider” and the “elephant”.
The emotional and psychological aspects of change are often the biggest barriers to progress and success. People typically aren’t skilled at mastering this part of their behavior and thought processes. Moving through this phase of change requires you to:
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“Find the feeling”
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“Shrink the change”
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“Limit choices”
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“Grow yourself (and your people)”
Step 3: Shape the Path
This phase is the action/implementation portion. It’s where “the rubber meets the road”, and the bulk of the work is done. It’s also where most people struggle, and ultimately quit.
Doing the work is not glamorous, but it’s necessary to see positive results. The good news is, that if the previous phases have been done properly, step 3 becomes much easier and smoother. The key aspects of this phase are:
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“Tweak the environment”
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“Build habits”
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“Rally the herd”
In the book, each section is explained in detail and uses common health and fitness scenarios (e.g. weight loss goals and the associated challenges).
I’ve included this today because so many people think that fitness, weight loss, and looking good on the beach required compulsive exercise and dieting.
As you may now realize, the secret to having a great body, feeling amazing, being happy, and improving your success in every area of life has everything to do with the mindset habits you put in place. A massive part of this equation is understanding and being able to “hack” the process of change to your benefit.
The 3 steps mentioned above are the perfect illustration of that process.
I will leave you today with one of my favorite quotes from Jim Rohn. It’s a piece of wisdom that I’ve worked very hard to cultivate over the past few years.
Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day. ~ Jim Rohn
My team at FRESH! and I would love to meet you and help you transform. Just book your FREE Success Coaching Session and let’s ignite your full potential, together.
