I AM

I'm a little embarrassed to say that I am way too over the top excited about this Challenge! I know that every single one of you are going to rock it!

Last time around, we had members of the group "host" a week or day. They picked a subject they were interested in, and made a post to teach the rest of the group about it. It went so well last time that I really want to do it again this time around. If anyone is interested in "hosting", please let me know ASAP! Don't be shy! You don't have to be an expert, we're all learning! Plus, it's a great way to stay motivated and get involved and help the rest of the group!

Today, I want to talk about goals. Everyone's weekly goals were awesome! I love reading everyone's goals and then getting to see you implement them throughout the week!

My husband Mike was telling me about a study he'd recently read about.
It showed that  something that was far more motivating to people than prizes or money was recognition and the way you see yourself and the way others see you.

For example, a person who considered them self to be a healthy eater, and whom others considered a healthy eater, was far more likely to stick to a healthy diet than a person who rewarded them self with a new outfit. This person would have a clear, concise vision of what a healthy eater looks like and would incorporate habits that bring them closer to being that person, and let go of things that don't.

This has helped me realize several areas in my life where I'm succeeding because I'm seeing myself the way I want to be, and areas where I need a more precise vision.

For example, I'm not the most dedicated exerciser! Because of that, a lot of times I catch myself telling people that I am lazy and out of shape. What if instead, I started to picture myself as a person who is active and productive? To me, an active person is someone who is productive and likes to get moving. To me, it's someone who gets down to play with their kids and makes physical chores and opportunities fun! (Several of you already gave examples of what an active person looks like to me by dancing with your kids, jumping on the trampoline with them, having a picnic outside and starting the day of with a refreshing walk outside.)
Someone who is productive would be a person who gets things done, plans ahead and does things from start to finish, even when there are interruptions or obstacles.

I remember hearing once that "I Am" is one of the most powerful phrases in the English language, and that putting it before a specific goal makes you able to see yourself as that person and therefore far more likely to achieve it.

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I'm going to try it this week, and I'm hoping you will too. In fact, if you do and share it in the comments where I posted this link on the Facebook page, you can earn an extra point this week! It doesn't have to pertain specifically to the weekly goals you made, or even to weight loss. What's something you've always wanted to do/be but you've held yourself back because you've felt inadequate? Try to think about what you want to accomplish by being in this Challenge. Think about how you want to see yourself and how you want others to see you. What does that person look like? What types of things do they do? What types of things do they NOT do?

So, from now on, instead of excusing myself for being lazy and out of shape, I'm instead say:

"I am active"

"I am productive"

One important thing I've learned, is to make sure you don't overwhelm yourself trying to right all your "wrongs" or weaknesses at once. My instinct is to try to start to tackle every single weakness I've had in the last ten years, but that always leaves me overwhelmed and unable to focus on something precise enough to remember it! (That is actually why I only had you make 2 weekly goals. I want you to be able to FOCUS!) After a lot of thought, I feel like describing myself as active and productive will help me in a wide range of areas, not just exercise.