These days over 50% of Americans are overweight and out of shape. Most people spend their days in front of a desk, in a car or in front of the TV. These sedentary habits combined with a diet of refined sugars and processed foods is a recipe for weight gain and disease.
This probably doesn’t come as a shock to many of us, but the challenge is how to overcome these bad habits.
Where do we start?
We are all creatures of habit. Don’t believe it? Try going to bed an hour early, change your pillow, wake up an hour early, try another toothpaste, don’t drink coffee, drive a different route to work, don’t look at your cell phone for an hour, don’t go on Facebook for a day, don’t eat at a restaurant for a week, etc, etc…you get the idea.
Habits are powerful. The goal should be to replace bad habits with better ones. Now this is easier said than done, which is why I want to start with your mindset.
Our mindset (how we think, our attitudes, and our input) plays a huge role in our success. TV infomercials may sell you a dvd set or piece of equipment, we all have gym memberships and a few vitamins, but has this really helped you transform your body? Probably not.
Successfully creating the body you want starts with your mindset. At Innovative Results we break mindset down into three categories (Attitude, Motivation and Support). Lets walk through these categories briefly.
1. Attitude
Attitude will make or break your success in the gym. When you think about working out, what is the first thought you have? Is it positive or negative? When the alarm goes off early, how do you react? When you choose to eat healthier food, is it a positive experience or a hassle? When you don’t feel like being at the gym, how is your workout?
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
2. Motivation
Motivation is another vital aspect of a healthy mindset. This can be summarized by “what you want”, “why you want it” and “recognizing hurdles in the way”. The key here is to brainstorm on what you truly want to have happen. Your goal should be important to you and make you a little emotional.
Write your goals down now.
After you have set a goal, the next step is to clarify why you want this to happen. Lots of people wanna lose weight, but understanding why is critical. Why you want to change has to be bigger and more important than the obstacles that will surface on your journey. We have found that the more emotional the goal, the more motivated the person is to walk through the necessary steps to accomplishing their goal. For example, if a woman is going to stand in a white dress, in front of 600 friends and family members, she is usually more motivated than if they simply wanna lose 5lbs before a trip to Vegas.
Write down why these goals are important to you.
3.Support
Now that you have your goals and your reasons written down, the next step is to think about your current lifestyle. Mentally walk though your day/week and think about your current habits.
Who do you surround yourself with? What do you read/watch/listen to?
Change is never easy, so it is important to surround yourself with a support system of like minded people. Friends will unintentionally drag you back into the bar, into ordering deserts or back into bad habits. So plan ahead and protect yourself from these potential distractions.
Your level of success depends upon the people you surround yourself with and the books you read
Which habits are keeping your from achieving your goals? This could start with sleep schedule, eating habits, time in the car, time at work, time in front of the tv and more. Write these habits down on a piece of paper.
The next step is to brainstorm ways to improve your current habits and align them with your goals. How can you improve your habits or schedule? You can probably figure most of this out on your own, but if you need advise or outside opinions, feel free to comment on this article and ask questions. We can always help point you in the right direction.
Write down your current habits and replace them with healthier alternatives.
**Be sure and share these thoughts with people close to you. When people understand your motivation and your goals, they will be more likely to support you and hold you accountable along the way. Who knows, you may even motivate them to join you in your journey!
So, if you are struggling to get started in a workout program, then review this article again, get your thoughts on paper and lets get this party started today!
Our next article will talk about movement and how to get started with a new workout program, no matter what your ability level may be.
So stay tuned!
IR Mindset is Attitude, Motivation, and Support…we love it and we live it! 🙂
I have been playing baseball for fourteen years and these concepts are a huge part of getting better. To succeed and get better you need the mindset, the attitude, the motivation and the support or its not going to happen.
In my opinion your mindset is the number 1 reason why we succeed or fail. What is your reason for success or failure?
thoughts, words, actions, habits, character. That is heavy. But less so if they are all in the right place!
Almost everything starts with an idea. Success comes from putting ideas into action, working through obstacles and focusing on results. It’s no different when we want to improve our health or well being! Why wouldn’t we consider that a priority when our well being will help us be successful in all our other goals in life?
This post made me think about a quote in "How to Win Friends and Influence People":
"Action seems to follow feeling, but really action and feeling go together; and by regulating the action, which is under the more direct control of will, we can indirectly regulate the feeling, which is not."
So while our mindset dictates our actions we can also change our mindset and attitudes by changing the way we act.
I think that is why it is so important to remind people that attitude is "Positive thoughts, positive words, positive ACTIONS."
A person's mindset is difficult to change. That is why it cannot be done alone. A person must have a support system that nurtures positive change. If not a person will quickly revert back to their usual self. Fitness is a great way to challenge your self to change in a positive manner. The mind and body are very much connected. God has given us the ability to transform. Our bodies our designed to the move and to exercise. There are too many positive physiological adaptations that come with exercise to think other wise. What is more amazing is that it is never too late to change. So MOVE!
Amen to that! 100% agree with you.
This article says it all! It is amazing what the human body can do. But if you get stuck in some bad habits, its amazing what it takes to get the body to do what you want! Bad habits are dangerous, this is some great advice to get out of them.
Its so true that you need to know your body and mindset before you begin to change or start a new program-just deciding to have a positive outlook can completly affect the success of the program. We don't often realize how vital our own self-motivation and attitude have an effect on our physical body.
This article hit the nail on the head! Attitude, motivation, and support can and will lead to positive change and better habits. Habits are “powerful” and they are very hard to break. I totally agree that in order to break them, we must trace back to our actions, words and even thoughts. Only when we dig deeper into all this, can we successfully start getting into shape.
This article hit the nail on the head! Attitude, motivation, and support can and will lead to positive change and better habits. Habits are "powerful" and they are very hard to break. I totally agree that in order to break them, we must trace back to our actions, words and even thoughts. Only when we dig deeper into all this, can we successfully start getting into shape.
My internship experience at Innovative Results is already becoming a learning experience for me. I am obtaining experience in the fitness industry, but also learning some important life lessons. I am becoming more aware of some of my weaknesses and that there is room for improvement. Goal setting is one of the new habits that I would like to perform. I want to ensure that every day I accomplish objectives that are going to give me results in all aspects of my life. I now understand that goal setting will allow me to keep tract of my progress and give me the ability to know haw far or close I am of accomplishing any of my goals. Thank you IR for your passion for results and in developing good team members.
I think the ideas presented in this blog are simple, yet well thought out. Many people do not realize that one of the largest hindrances to improving their health and overall quality of life is themselves. Like it is stated in the blog, once we write down our goals and things that will prevent us from reaching them, our eyes are opened to the solutions. These intrinsic goals are what will motivate us the most, and with the help of the people we surround ourselves with there is no reason we cannot accomplish them.
I think the ideas presented in this blog are simple, yet well thought out. Many people do not realize that one of the largest hindrances to improving their health and overall quality of life is themselves. Like it is stated in the blog, once we write down our goals and things that will prevent us from reaching them, our eyes are opened to the solutions. These intrinsic goals are what will motivate us the most, and with the help of the people we surround ourselves with there is no reason we cannot accomplish them.
I am becoming more and more motivated to start working with Innovative Fitness because I couldn't agree more with the ideas presented in this blog. A positive mindset is absolutely crucial to any kind of success. I love most that this blog breaks it down so that ANYONE can get motivated and on their way to healthier habits.
After reading this blog it made me think of a motivational speech called “How bad do you want it?” Change has to come from within, someone can tell you until you are blue in the face to get up and do something for yourself, but it is not until you decide on your own that you want to change, is when big things happen. You can accomplish all your goals in life by remembering if you can dream it, you can achieve it. I have struggled with my weight since a kid and til this day I still struggle with my weight because I tend to go back to my bad habits, so I know exactly what this blog is talking about. In life I believe “when you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you'll be successful” I agree with knowing what you want, why you want it, and how you are going to get where you want to go is crucial in self-motivation. About being creatures of habit I believe once you start making positive changes in your life or changing certain things at fist it will feel awkward and you will want to go back to your habits but once you make changes you will then become a creature of habit again but hopefully a creature of good habit(s). Having a support team definitely helps and surrounding yourself with positive people who have goals themselves just enhances your success and their success.
Most people do not like change and I agree change is never easy but when you make a choice to make a difference for yourself then you have already conquered half the battle.
If one is clear about their goal they will automatically have a positive attitude and the motivation to achieve. And, they will naturally surround themselves with people headed in the same direction. However, it's very important to ask yourself, "Am I really willing to do whatever it takes to achieve this goal." Don't lie to yourself!!!
🙂
This blog made me really think, its easy to say I want to change, I want to better myself, but words don’t mean much our actions mean so much more. I agree with this article these 3 categories are the most important things for someone to improve on changing their habits, or start to become fit. It wont be easy, but it is definitely possible. I love the picture on the write that says “whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right. Our mindset is the most powerful tool, so we should use it to our benefit!
What really stood out to me is “why you want to change has to be bigger and more important than the obstacles that will surface on the way”
This really relates to me in my life, I am trying to compete in a figure competition and sometimes I give in to eating unhealthy then I have to remember why I’m working so hard and get motivated to eat healthy again. Habit plays a huge role in this, when you start eating healthy for a long time it becomes habit and you don’t even have to think about it. Just like working out if you do it every day you will just keep wanting to do it. Habit/consistency and motivation lead to success! 🙂
IR mindset is such a solid mentality for a gym, especially for this blog post. It adds three awesome mindsets that creates a winning mentality. With that said, I believe that anyone can apply this mindset of attitude, motivation, and support to all aspects of their lives. If they can apply this to working out and have a successful journey, it will help push through other hardships.
Mindset is absolutely key to changing one’s life around. It is something that needs to be addressed early in order to lead to positive growth long term. Although I may be able to write down all my goals and aspirations and give myself motivation today, it is everyday after that’s the real struggle. I like the fact that emotional drive correlates with higher motivational levels. With the right mindset we can achieve anything, get to the gym, improve eating habits, or even strive for better academics. People’s reasons are individualized, and seeing what people are willing to alter his or her mindset for is fascinating. Having a caring support system is vital to staying motivated, it’s difficult to do it alone, so having those you trust behind you when the going gets rough is a major component to success.
The motivation that I’ve received from this post is amazing, and it all starts with a mindset, with everything in life we have to be able to get our mind to see the good that will come out of it and when are able to do that we can do some amazing things.
This article was very interesting. I didn’t realize how important goal setting really was and how I’m not so good at it. I understand now that I need to work on that and my attitude every time I step in the gym. It’s important to stay focused no matter what obstacles life throws at you.
Yes, a positive mindset is key to success! I think the breakdown of the categories are dead on (attitude, motivation, support). I love the picture in the article labeled “persistence”; There is no giant step that does it, its a lot of little steps. I have personally experienced this first hand, good things take time and to stick to a goal you must have a positive attitude, consistent motivation and it helps to seek and have support!
I really like how the article starts small with just a habit and moves up from there like building blocks. Wants, goals, and dreams do not become reality until you write them down. Then writing down why they are important to you is great. Many people miss that step, and those reasons become and after thought. The most important part of this article is the third area; support. You can have all the attitude and motivation in the world but somewhere along the way you are going to have a set back. Support is so critical. Not only for the set backs but like it says, for when friends or family try to pull you back down. I believe this is why most people fail. This article is spot on and I will definitely be sharing it with more people.
When it comes to turn your life around i believe these steps are very important and will take a positive toll in your life with the right mindset and attitude everything is possible and to back it all up having the right motivation will get you there.
Surrounding yourself with the right people is absolutely one of the most important steps to actualizing one’s goals. Or perhaps for me it is. I have trouble letting go of anything, it is as if I was born during the last World War and learned that nothing is considered trash. And that is how I spent much of my twenties looking at my friends. However as I neared closer and closer to 30, I began to take a serious look at the people I was surrounding myself by, their habits, and how maintaining the positive ones I had set in place became more and more difficult the longer I kept their company.
So as painful as it was, I began to cut people out of my life that drained my energy, sapped my willpower, and were contributing as much to having a good time as they were distracting me from those things required of me in order to capture the success I craved for myself at present, and moving forward into the future.
Just today, I spent a long time speaking with my girlfriend and mother about meal prepping, and how to cut costs by buying in bulk. As silly as it sounds for someone who has been into bodybuilding and fitness for nearly 14 years of their life, the task of simply finding deals, eliminating waste, and creating new habits seemed more than daunting. However by the end of the day, I had gathered a plethora of tips, and even got my mother to agree to cook my meals and do the shopping for the next week or two for me while I took care of some other pressing matters in my life.
Without the support system I’ve built for myself, I can easily see how moving forward would be all but impossible if I were on my own, working to better only my own ends.
Having goals are great for everyone but they are hard to stay behind if you don’t know why you have those goals. Visualizing your goals and writing them down was a great exercise for me, it gave my goals a foundation to look back at when i’m feeling discouraged or unmotivated. Not only is this key to have your goals but to surround yourself with people that are going to push you forward “You can’t soar with the Eagles if you’re hanging out with a bunch of turkeys”.
This article directly correlates with how I was feeling at the beginning of my second semester at school. I took some time off, so getting back into it was difficult. I can tell you, I did not have the right mindset in some of my classes. I was feeling unmotivated, and didn’t like some of my classes or professors.
I decided maybe if I pretend to like a class, and be engaged, then maybe I’ll start paying more attention and enjoy being there. So with a little external motivation, I achieved a better attitude, and with a better attitude, my motivation increased. I started making more friends, and using my resources to be successful. I have a good support system. I’ve set goals, long-term and short-term goals. I’ve gotten out of bad habits. I’ve told my friends we can hangout after May 15th as I’m trying to do my best in school.
Sometimes you have to sacrifice things in your life to become the absolute best you can be. That being said, if I knew I had something important to handle, that took precedence over going out for the night, or taking a trip somewhere. Right now, I just have to remain focused, and take care of whats important to me.
Exercise and the brain are highly correlated. This is why I study neuroanatomy as well as exercise physiology. The brain is incredibly powerful and complex but also surprisingly simple, and small changes in habit can have huge effects on its function. Getting up off the couch is a huge challenge, but the rewards are endless. The immediate effects of improved mood, relaxation, and the feeling of accomplishment become the mental reward, instead of a cupcake or tv time. Over time, the physical and mental results are empowering. This article breaks down the very complex idea of a positive mindset in a simple, applicable way that can help people become who they want to be. Through creating goals, assigning emotional weight to them, and finding a support group to help keep you on the right path, anything is possible, including changing the brain and body for better.
This article directly correlates with how I was feeling at the beginning of my second semester at school. I took some time off, so getting back into it was difficult. I can tell you, I did not have the right mindset in some of my classes. I was feeling unmotivated, and didn’t like some of my classes or professors. I decided maybe if I pretend to like a class, and be engaged, then maybe I’ll start paying more attention and enjoy being there. So with a little external motivation, I achieved a better attitude, and with a better attitude, my motivation increased. I started making more friends, and using my resources to be successful. I have a good support system. I’ve set goals, long-term and short-term goals. I’ve gotten out of bad habits. I’ve told my friends we can hangout after May 15th as I’m trying to do my best in school. Sometimes you have to sacrifice things in your life to become the absolute best you can be. That being said, if I knew I had something important to handle, that took precedence over going out for the night, or taking a trip somewhere. Right now, I just have to remain focused, and take care of whats important to me.
This article hits home for me really tough. In the motivation section it said that your goals should make you a little emotional and this is where I struggle. I am not a very emotional person to begin with, and when it comes to relying on a burning passion to motivate me toward my goals that just doesn’t work out for me. The only real motivation I have toward achieving my goals is knowledge and experience. For example, this track season I was going through a difficult time trying to manage three practices a day along with classes, studying, eating/drinking enough and getting adequate sleep. Although my body was suffering during the process, I learned a lot about track and field and different events and developed myself more as a coach.
It is our mood and mindset that make the difference regarding the energy we emanate. The body and mind are vastly intertwined, and positive action will not be made until positive thoughts are formed. Setting goals will pave a path for one to begin making the correct steps in the correct direction of their desired future self. The attitude cannot bring doubt, we can achieve our goals through a confident and self-assuring outlook. The motivation will grow if the fire within grows as well; the more we want the goal, the more capable we become of defeating the obstacles in the way. Sometimes that consists of removing things in your life that do not serve you purpose towards your goal. It is important that the relationships in your life can support you, or else some might be capable of hindering your progress. Be your own positive support system and create friendships with similar minds, so you can create a life that will absolutely reach your goals!
I for one struggle with bad habits that I developed by accident from my childhood or by taking the easy way out as I grew up facing difficult obstacles. I love how this article hits on the key point that one should focus on not just identifying each “negative” habit and wanting it to change, but by finding a counter habit that will make it change. I also can completely relate to not always knowing how to motivate myself and I have learned that sometimes we do need to start with external motivation (I get to buy a new shirt if I workout 3 times this week) in order to begin our journey, but once we do begin our journey, the body and mind start to coincide and tell each other how great this is. Then, without even knowing it, your mind tells you its time for a run, a hike, or rock climbing just because it makes you feel good and gives you joy.
I can relate to this article in many ways as I have found when I adjust my attitude from negative to positive this greatly affects my motivation; in addition when I add a support system my goal becomes achievable in a quicker time frame. For example last year I wanted to get back into shape so I set a goal to wake up at 6am and run at least 1 mile every morning/each day. I accomplished this for awhile but I was lacking a support system and eventually this fell off course. I have now found that support system with Innovative Results and I’m achieving my goal in a more timely manner plus pushing my limits.
Very to the point, I recently read “The power of habit” and this article hits key points discussed in that book. Writing out your goals and habits helps you align your actions, I have everything written on my closet mirror so I see it when I get up ever morning. Changed my life!
This is awesome, you know, the goal setting process is probably one of the most underappreciated aspects of just about any sort of self-improvement action, not just fitness. I think many people have an innate “sense” (for lack of a better term) of what their goals are, but putting them into some sort of form I think is crucial to being able to plan and execute. Without that step, our goals can seem like these vast, almost ethereal constructs, but through the simple act of just writing them down, i.e. describing them to ourselves specifically, we realize they’re not so out there after all and that our goals actually are quite attainable. Good Stuff…
Writing down and defining your goals is very important because it’s easy to forget them when obstacles arise. When you write it down, it serves as a reminder everyday to keep you motivated. It is also beneficial to keep daily track of your goals since repetition has been proven to improve performance. Furthermore, having someone keep you accountable for your goals is really effective. Overall, your mindset is a major factor in achieving your fitness goals. Two people could do the same workout but the one with the stronger mindset will ultimately perform better.
The title is perfect! “Out of shape?”. There are so many ways of becoming “out of shape”. From your mental status, your friend status, your emotional status or your body, the list can go on about how a human as a whole can be out of shape. Many people don’t yet believe in the power of the energy that they produce and put out into the universe. It’s not that people don’t believe in writing their thoughts, goal or achievements down to gain more from them, it’s that at that moment in their life they aren’t ready to commit to change because change is difficult. Once you realize how powerful your mind is and are ready to commit and really begin to love yourself (all of you!), you take change and roll with it. You realize that change is good! Your bad habits are easily transformed to positive ones as well as your thoughts. Putting them down on paper solidifies that you are ready. You are ready to approach struggles with a positive attitude and you begin to see that they really aren’t struggles, they are a guide. You learn, grow from them and move on! You are no longer embarrassed or afraid to tell people about your goals because all that matters is taking care of YOU! “Those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind”. Surround yourself will all of these 3 things: Positive Attitude, Awesome motivation and Amazing support! Amazing things will happen! This is a great article!
This article is on point! Starting with mindset, if you don’t walk into a workout with a positive energy then you will not receive a positive work out. We have all experienced this before and it is important to always try and maintain a positive attitude so you don’t bring down yourself or others, always try to spread positivity not reduce it! Next are your habits. It is important to ultimately understand that we all have habits, and that they can all be altered and improved. Like this article states, we don’t even realize that we have these habits until we actively augment our daily routine. All aspects of your life can be improved always with optimization in mind. You can feel the effects instantaneously when you change to a more positive habit such as dropping refined sugar. Your mind becomes more clear, your energy levels are sustainable, and your overall mood is enhanced. Last, and certainly not least there is support. Having a positive supporting cast is very crucial because whether we like it or not we are all human and fall into patterns of bad habit especially when the closest people to us are practicing said bad habits. The most important thing we can do is be self aware of how others are effecting us and how important it is to not let them burden our experience.
The basis for all success, in any area of life, is mindset. It is easy to write goals and even ones motivations in a superficial way and just as easy to not be deeply motivated to take the required actions needed to achieve those stated goals. I speak here from experience… An interesting local Life Coach posted a video recently where he explained why that happens and how to remedy the problem of unrealized goals. His method- to state a goal. Ask yourself why. Then ask yourself how you will feel when you have achieved that goal (close your eyes and attempt to viscerally “feel” the sensations in your body/mind/being). Once you can actually “feel” what that goal does for you then assess: “is this the feeling that I am actually after? Or is there some other feeling that would more deeply fulfill me?” Based on your honest answer- one should either pursue the originally stated goal (extremely rare) or restate/reimagine a new goal based on the feeling that one is actually after. The stronger the resonance between stated goal and the way one imagines the goals achievement will improve ones feeling and fulfillment, the stronger the internal motivation.
Your mind is such a powerful tool to use in the gym and having the right attitude and will power can make you achieve anything! Eating healthy goes hand in hand with fitness, which is why discipline plays a similar roll in eating as it does with hitting the gym day after day. Goals cannot exist without discipline, so getting into shape can be achieved!
WOW we really are CREATURES OF HABIT. This reminds me of Charles Duhigg book, The Power of Habit. Charles says, “Change might not be fast and it isn’t always easy. But with time and effort almost any habit can be reshaped.” This blog not only gives you a great start plan to getting in shape but also gives you a guideline of how you can do it by changing your bad habits to good habits in as easy as a 1, 2, 3. First there right mindset that starts with attitude. Second, the motivation or your why that will guide you to where you want to go. Lastly the support team that you will need to cheer you on or join you on the journey to the best version of yourself possible. Thank you for the AWESOME blog!
Your mindset dictates your level of success. In order to change a habit, you definitely need to have the right attitude , support and motivation. In addition, when making a lifestyle change, patience and persistence are key to continuing to pursue what you have set your mind to do. People in general want fast results but changing a habit or establishing a life style change, takes time and time requires patience and persistence. If you know the “What and why” of your motivation and establish SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound) goals it will help you stay focused and motivated.
Bad habits are easy to pick up and hard to get rid of! Setting your mind to making changes for your own health takes time and patience. Changing habits is not easy, but baby steps and short term goals help to make positive life style changes. Being focused, determined and consistent are crucial in changing habits.
I love that support is included in Mindset because the reality is that our environment has the power to make or break our most well-intentioned goals. This is something that I’ve experienced personally as well as professionally with my clients.
Until a behavior change is fully solidified as a new habit it is very vulnerable to derailing – the reality is that it can only take a little positive support or a little negative influence to push the change towards permanent change in the former or towards regression in the latter.
That’s why I love the movement community! Making positive individual changes, together. To OUR victory!
I love this quote,
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
Mindset is powerful!
Really amazing article & it is good to read it before starting habits changing strategy. It’s good to know the obstacles that maybe you could face during habits changing journey. Also, It’s important to know how can deal with them by motivating yourself or by some encouragements from your family members or your close friends. By the way, I am disabled since 2005 and use the manual wheelchair since then. In 2009, I started changing my bad eating habits and my lifestyle routine. My health is better now but I need to continue what I have started in a good and efficient manner. I hope Innovation- results helps me to attain my wishes.
Change can be intimidating to most of us; it’s much easier to stay where we are comfortable, even when the circumstances are hindering us from achieving all that we are fully capable of. Having the right attitude, mentality, purpose and support are so vital in making changes. I think the most important one is support — be mindful of who you surround yourself with. Finding a like-minded group can help push you to keep going when your attitude and mentality are having an off day. IR is definitely the team to have for such support!
At IR it is our job to provide positive attitudes, positive motivation, and positive support. We need to be there for our clients and help them to see how rewarding living a healthy lifestyle can be!
Love the quote under attitude, a great reminder of the power of thoughts!! When we think good things, we will act out good things!