Where to Begin? Start from right where you are.

by: Dr. Albert Valente

Now that the new year has begun hopefully many of you are well on your way to implementing your New Years resolutions towards a healthier year. Unfortunately, we have already heard from many of our patients and our online community, that many have not. By now some are even letting the negative and disempowering thoughts dominate their minds and have talked themselves out of even getting started. “Why bother, I’m only going to fail anyway”, “I’ll get started as soon as this stress resolves”, “I don’t even know how to get started, so why bother”.

Well, to help you get started let me share two simple concepts we discuss everyday in the office.

1) Start focusing in your mind where you want to go. Don’t yet worry about the details how to get there as your mind will subconsciously start to work out the details once you focus on your destination.

2) Set up your environment to help yourself. Start to surround yourself with good choices and encouraging people.

Let me briefly expound on these 2 concepts. First, many people never get started because they just don’t where to begin. The simple answer, you need to start from right where you’re at. That’s it. Actually, it’s all you can do. Don’t spend too much mental time looking backwards and reminding yourself that in college you were 30 pounds less, or before your divorce you took such good care of yourself, etc. For better or worse, you’re not there now. Although it can be helpful to occasionally look back, you simply can’t move forward starring in your rear view mirror. It is ok to occasionally reflect back as this may help avoid making the same mistakes twice, or multiple times for some of us; but, to stay there creates stagnation and pessimism. Focus now on your desired destination. Set a general time frame, check your mirrors (but don’t stare), then focus your minds eye forward and get moving.

Second, set up your environment to help yourself. This is a simple yet powerful concept. Although I believe it is important to leave yourself choices so you feel empowered, make it easy on yourself by choosing among good options. For example, this can be as simple as not having cookies in the house if cookies are a weakness for you. Instead, leave yourself 3 or 4 other healthier snack options to choose from. This provides you the sense of choice and control but aligns this control and freedom with your goal of being healthier. This is a much stronger positive drive than the negative feelings associated with the sense that you’re sacrificing something or worse, punishing yourself.

It is also important to surround yourself with friends, co-workers and family that are supportive and motivating. This is part of creating the right environment around yourself. Granted, it’s not always easy, but it may also not be as difficult as you think either. You have to get better at filtering out the negative and discouraging naysayers in your life. Have positive role models, read positive books and magazines and visit positive motivating web sites. If you have limited time, why waste it on negative disempowering places?

If you’re on your way, congratulations. If not, believe in yourself and ‘just get started’. As we say frequently, ‘you don’t have to be perfect, just try to be better’. Begin with these simple concepts, focus on where you want to go and set up your environment to help yourself. Stop doubting yourself, find some motivation and enjoy becoming more fit, fearless and fabulous. Dr V