Three steps to a new you

What do you want to change about yourself?

Is it the way you look or feel, or is it your current general situation in life?


We’ve been conditioned to think that change is hard, that it takes a long time. But it really doesn’t have to.

I’m here to argue that lasting change happens in the speed of thought.

This goes completely against the grain of common belief. Most people believe that change is a struggle. We expect to try and fail several times before ultimately giving up.

Think about this: How many people do you know who struggle with weight loss? They want to make a healthy change, but the change never seems to happen.

What’s keeping people from making this change in their lives?

According to personal development guru, Tony Robbins, it’s the preparation for change that takes time. In the end, there’s a single instant when the change occurs.

Here are the three steps to instantly create change that leads to a new you.

Step No. 1: Believe that something must change.

Do you sort of want to get into shape, or do you absolutely have to lose the weight? Does dropping a few pounds sound good, or is living another day in your current body simply unbearable? In order to make a lasting change, you must believe wholeheartedly that things must change.

Step No. 2: Believe that you must change it.

It is vital that you take full responsibility for making the change rather than assigning responsibility elsewhere. Sure, others might help you, but in the end, you are the one who is going to make it happen. You have to want this change enough to make it your personal mission. No one else can do it for you.

Step #3: Believe that you can change it.

Don’t let past failures get you down. The truth is that you are capable of amazing things when you put your mind to it. Believe that you are able to lose weight or to make any other positive change in your life.

Why do most people fail to make change stick? They rely on willpower. This works for awhile, but you’ll soon revert back to what’s comfortable. The solution? Change what you are comfortable with.

People are motivated by two things: 1) to avoid pain; and 2) to gain pleasure. When you want to change a behavior, the key is to associate pain with the behavior that you don’t want and pleasure with the behavior that you do want.

You know that you want to lose weight and that to do so you need to quit eating comfort food late at night. You also know that you need to start exercising on a regular basis. Up until this point your brain is trained to associate pleasure with eating comfort food late at night and to associate pain with exercise.

It’s time to retrain your brain to feel good about exercise and to feel bad about eating late at night. Think about all of the negative things about being overweight and connect these unpleasant thoughts to your late night snack. Now think about all of the wonderful things about being in shape and connect these pleasant thoughts to exercise.

You are capable of making big changes in your life, and it can happen at the speed of thought.

Chad Smith is a Hagerstown personal trainer and co-owner of Home Team Fitness LLC. Go to www.hometeamfitness.net for more information.