Are You Persistent Enough to Reach Your Weight Loss Goals?

Success starts with building persistence

If there’s one thing I’ve realized over the years, it’s that no one is just given their success. If they are, they tend to lose it pretty quickly because they didn’t build persistence by developing the skills needed to keep success.

You can get placed on the top of Mt Everest and brag about getting there, but without developing any climbing or surviving skills, you’ll die pretty quickly.

The same is true with weight loss. As tempting as it is to go for the pills or surgery, whatever results you get won’t be for very long if you don’t develop the skills to overcome temptation, make good choices, and do what needs done despite how you feel. 

If you want to be successful in any area in life, but especially weight loss, you have to develop persistence. History shows that riches and rewards are given to those who are unyielding in their pursuits. They never give up, even when they achieve their goal.

But let’s not kid ourselves…staying focused and on track toward your goals is not an easy task. If it were, we’d be surrounded by success stories and have a fit, healthy population. However, it doesn’t have to be as hard as we sometimes make it.

Here are 3 simple tricks you can use to make persistence easier

1. Build persistence by nixing the negative thinking

Negative thinking is the worst kind of contagious because until someone points it out, we generally have no idea we have it, especially if we’re around people who constantly speak negative words. While it’s understandable at times, it’s also toxic, addictive, and will 100% keep you from getting your goals met.

One secret no one tells – extremely successful people don’t tolerate negativity and they eliminate people from their life who are constantly expressing negative thoughts. When you start rephrasing negative thoughts (“This is too hard, I can’t do it”) with positive ones (“This is challenging and I can’t do it yet, but if I keep going, I’ll be able to.”), it’s easier to avoid the downward spiral and press on.

How do you spot the negative thoughts?

• Start listening to the people around you for negative phrases like “I can’t”, “I’m not”, “I don’t have”. While they might sound like legitimate statements, they’re actually preventing them from being anything else.
• Listen for those phrases or thoughts coming out of your mouth and practice rephrasing them as much as possible. If you believe it’s not true, you’ll start acting differently. You’ll start building success.

2. Build persistence by practicing daily courage 

Do one thing that scares you every day. It doesn’t even have to be scary, just uncomfortable. Something that pushes you beyond your comfort zone of sameness and into the unknown where success lies. It could be working out even if you’ll feel judged, going outside even if the weather isn’t perfect, getting up earlier even if you’re tired, going to a social event even if you don’t know anyone, taking a class even if you’re nervous about it.

By doing things that are a little scary, you’re practicing courage and developing the confidence you need to persist through any challenge. Think of hardships like the SATs. If you’re not tough enough to pass, you don’t get the success on the other side. You have to earn your accomplishments, and that is a beautiful thing.

3. Build persistence by playing to your strengths

Everyone is full of skills and talents, some just aren’t aware of theirs yet. One great way to practice confidence is to do what you know you’re good at. Start with a foundation you already have and in building that skill up, you’ll find more skills and talents along the way. If you want to accelerate your skill building and finding, get around other people. Find a community of people trying to do what you’re trying to do and you’ll start to build off of each other. When they need your help you’ll discover another skill and when you need their help you’ll develop a new skill.

Success builds on success. It reinforces the story of, “Yes I can. I’m great at this,” and helps you find that spirit in other areas of your life where you haven’t yet discovered your greatness. Plus, achievement is addictive, and when you play to your strengths, you feel good and want to achieve even more.

Never stop in your pursuit of persistence

Talent, Genius, Education…all of these traits bow to the all-powerful persistence in the pursuit of your goals and dreams. It’s the secret sauce that’s hidden behind everyone’s success and there’s no way around it.

Are you persistent in pursuit of your goals?

How can you practice making persistence easier today?

 

-Jenna