Are you ready for some action-oriented thinking?
If you’ve wondered why I’m all hot and bothered about action-oriented thinking, it’s because becoming part of the 5% who slim down and keep it off or start a workout program and keep it up is all about mindset. It is all about becoming aware of the thoughts that have held us back from maintaining our desires.
Is it hard work and sometimes scary to become aware of these thoughts?
Absolutely, most of us have pushed them way back and down deep so we don’t have to be conscious of them.
My suggestion is to be brave. They are only thoughts and they won’t kill you. And unless you are willing to become aware of them, you might as well stop reading now.
Destructive thoughts have at least these two things in common:
- they help us cut off painful feelings;
- they are strongly influenced or controlled by a thought process that both seduces us into a behavior and punishes us for indulging.
Action oriented thinking adopts the view that there are valid alternatives to changing those thoughts. It requires us to be plugged-in to our thoughts, accompanied by a commitment to take action to change them. This is science based information and is change that you can make happen in just a few minutes.
There are three steps to action-oriented thinking.
For example: let’s say you’re at a dessert party and you see five delicious desserts.
You think:
I know I’m the chubbiest girl here and I feel so self-conscious. If I don’t have any dessert everyone will think I’m the fat girl on a diet again…. But I don’t care. I don’t want to deprive myself. It isn’t fair that those skinny girls get to eat whatever they want.
You can pave new healthy neural pathways to permanent change if you:
- Identify the trigger thought:
I don’t give a damn. I don’t want to deprive myself. It isn’t fair that those skinny girls get to eat whatever they want.
- Identify the feeling:
Anger and deprivation: this is not fair.
Disappointment: I really want to eat this.
Fear: I don’t want anyone to think I’m the fat girl on a diet again.
Discouraged: this is too hard.
- Set up an action-oriented solution or strategy:
I’m going to pick my favorite dessert, take a small sized piece, eat it very slowly and enjoy every bite. I know I’m going to feel so proud of myself.
It is easier than you think. The hardest part is to stop pushing the feelings and thoughts way back and down deep.
If you want to feel strong, confident and in control but you feel you need more guidance and in-depth support, you may want to consider my 6-week online group program Weight Loss Solutions for Life. It is exactly what I teach in my private coaching.
It’s shown to be effective at retraining the brain for long-term behavior change so we can focus not only on keeping weight loss off or maintaining a workout, but healing and operating at peak performance!
Peace and love,
