3 – Are You Ready?

Today, I’m going to ask you three questions about change.

1. How ready are you to change?

2. How willing are you to change?

3. How able are you to change?

There are no right or wrong answers. But it’s important to know where you’re starting out.

How ready are you to change?

Think about what brought you here today.

Are you sick of the status quo? Or are your old routines still working pretty well for you?

 

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being “Too soon! Not ready yet!” and 10 being “Totally ready! Bring it on!!” how ready are you to change your existing nutrition and health habits?

How willing are you to change?

Think about how open you are right now to changing your mindset, habits, and routines.

Are you willing to just go with the flow? Or do you hate being told what to do?

 

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being “No change! I’m digging my heels in!” and 10 being “Change me! I’m ready for anything, SJ!”, how willing are you to trust this process and let change occur (or purposely challenge some of your existing ways of doing things)?

How able are you to change?

Sometimes we want and hope for change, but something’s blocking us.

What’s preventing you from changing right now — a tough work schedule, having a new baby, an unsupportive environment…?

 

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being “Right now, I simply can’t change” and 10  “I have all the tools and support I need,” how able are you to change?

Noticing and naming resistance

You can observe a lot by just watching.—Yogi Berra

Along the way, you’ll hear me mention a lot about “noticing and naming.” It just means we pay attention to what’s happening around us and in our own experience.

As you think about and work on changing your habits, see if you can notice and name any resistance that pops up.

For instance, today, you might choose to book some time to do a food shop.

You might suddenly think: But I’m too busy for that.

Or: I don’t know how to make a healthy meal. What kinds of foods am I suppose to buy?

Or: This is too complicated. This will never work.

Aha! Resistance! Something is pushing back against your change.

Don’t worry about “fixing” resistance. Just call it out when it occurs. (Warning! It’s sneaky!)

 

Remind yourself that change is a skill.

To make any change stick, you have to be a good change-er.

Help yourself succeed: Purposefully practice small daily successes.

 

When you’re struggling, pause and think:

What is ONE small change you can make today to get on track to where YOU want to go?

Vote in favour of a healthier, fitter life by doing ONE small thing that matters. Today, and every day.

 

Change is hard, especially when things we do right now solve a problem instantly, but create a bigger problem down the line.

Think about how ready, willing, and able you are to move forward with change.

Remember: There are no right or wrong answers. Be honest with yourself.

And if you want to figure out the pros and cons of changing, you can fill in these worksheets:

 

Notice and name any change-resistance that pops up.

Don’t try to make it go away. Just pay attention. And remember, resistance can be sneaky!

Until tomorrow,

SJ