I must say I’m enjoying life a lot more than I did 10 years ago, and one of the chief reasons for that is the positive changes I’ve made in my health and fitness.
I won’t go into the gruesome details, but sufficient to say that the work I’ve done to be in good physical shape, fit and lively has been more than valuable, and that it’s also made positivity and happiness a whole lot easier and brought great outcomes in other areas of my life.
During this I’ve also learnt a lot about the role of the mind in the hunt for health.
Unfortunately, for many people, self-sabotage is a regular companion!
Almost all of us are familiar with someone who has bought a gym membership, been twice and somehow “forgotten” for the remaining year. “I’m too busy”, some of them say, but not too busy to visit the pub, spend the afternoon window-shopping, or fill their daily TV quota. As a way of life (perhaps as a species?!) we’re conditioned to use justifications when we notice a gap between a given intention and what we actually do, and we behave as if on some level this works fantastically well for us.
But how would it be if all our cultural conditioning told us to say instead “Oh dear, I don’t seem to be going to the gym. There seems to be a contradiction between my conscious and unconscious mind! I’d better get it fixed!”? A bit like “Oh look, we’ve run out of milk. I’ll just go to the store and get some”, rather than the elaborate and inefficient socio-linguistic averting ritual that is the norm.
I have to confess that I visit the gym on a regular basis, and it doesn’t seem to cause me any psychological worry at all. That’s not to say that there aren’t any areas in my life where I’m making excuses and getting bad results (I wish!) But several years ago I made the decision that healthiness was essential, and I sought for and found tools that would get over my tendency to opt out of my own wellbeing.
Fortunately this isn’t something that requires “strength of will” (which is actually rare, and very hard to develop) – modern coaching technology bypasses the necessity to grit your teeth and sweat blood to accomplish goals 
Of course Unused Gym Membership Syndrome isn’t the only health concern where the unconscious mind gets in our way.
How many overweight people feel – rightly – that they’re losing out on a lot?
How many people who smoke would love to be free from the financial and self-esteem burdens their habit brings them? (Not to mention all that tedious health stuff they talk about on the packets, of course.)
How many people would like to live in a universe where real food tasted as nice as Maccas, and was just as handy? Many people do in fact inhabit that world.
Of course you could just say that health, fitness, energy and enthusiasm for life are “things that other individuals have”. But you can choose for yourself.
Live the difference Life Coaching is based in Melbourne which offers transformational one-on-one coaching both face-to-face and on the phone. People come from all walks of life and live in and around Melbourne, interstate and overseas. Visit http://livethedifference.com.au for more information on Melbourne life coach
