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The double-edged sword.

This metaphor springs to mind when I think of all the opportunities for inspiration the internet and social media in particular now make available. It’s no longer the case that you merely get to be inspired or perhaps intimidated by that super insanely-intelligent-effortlessly-beautiful-naturally-sporting chick at school.

You’re now also a few light taps away from being inspired by that crazy fit-successful-confident chick who’s half your age (!) and may live anyway in the world.

Heck, she may not even exist – she likely doesn’t exist in the way that you’ve built her up to be. Because the internet is a self moderated place to display your best light… and nothing else.

It got me thinking about the alternative. Today I’m covering:

How To Be Your Own Inspiration.

Surely the best fuel for inspiration is that which you generate yourself?

For a start it discounts all those pesky excuses. Rubbish like: She’s got better genetics, more money, more time, better support or any other reason that it’s oh so tempting to wave as the reason for why someone else is where you want to be.

In addition you start with proof that it can work for you. As much as I’m a huge fan of viewing someone else’s success as proof that you can do it too – it’s just that little-HUGE-! bit easier to accept that your success is proof that you can do it again.

Let’s get rolling with 3 Steps To Be Your Own Inspiration:

One: Model the STOP, START, CONTINUE Framework that is currently bringing you results in another area of your life.

If you’ve listened to Healthifcation for a while you’ll likely know I’m a big fan of Stop, Start, Continue. In the areas of life where it can feel like there is so much to change, to improve, to get better at… it can be a little overwhelming deciding where to start.

So let’s narrow it down to just 3 things.

When you think of that area of your life in which you’re already excelling there are at least 3 things you hold as non-negotiable standards.

=> Maybe you STOPPED with something that was a massive time eat? Like T.V.

Or potentially you STOPPED with something that gave you inconsistent energy and constant cravings? Like refined carbs Monday-Friday.

Possibly you STOPPED playing the comparison game so far as that business, or that mother, or that whoever that you really don’t need to be comparing yourself too?

=> Maybe you STARTED scheduling the vital tasks that kept not getting done? Like weights? Or meal prep? Or tracking the important numbers in your business?

Or perhaps you STARTED getting to bed 7-8 hours before your ideal wake up time?

Possibly you STARTED saying no to some of the requests that were not moving your closer to your goals and yet still taking away from the time you get to spend with your family and friends?

=> Maybe you CONTINUED getting to your child’s sport on the weekend because you know how much it means to them? Or getting to group exercise on the weekend because you know how much it means to your body?!

Or potentially you CONTINUED taking your lunch to work?

Possibly you CONTINUED documenting your daily reference points for success because you know they help you focus more on what’s working?

I can’t know what the best examples of STOP, START, CONTINUE are for you however I can know they are there!

You’ve stopped, started and continued either consciously or unconsciously in the areas of your life in which you’re getting great results and that is inspiration to now apply so far as your approach to body gain.

Two: Reframe NO to mean Not Yet.

This one is short and simple. It’s rare the instance where No really means never. It’s your choice whether you give up at your first No or instead choose to view it as merely a not yet and start to hunt down the evidence to support how it could become a Yes in the future.

Whatever your No is you might just need more information and a better approach? As I needed when my Facebook advertising account was disabled for 8 months and I didn’t know why. I guessed and I appealed with supreme gratitude and impeccable politeness AND was told to consider the decision final.

Maybe you need more persistence and better timing? Persistence is something I pride myself on. However it wouldn’t work alone if I hadn’t come across new information and deployed it in a better approach to Facebook.

I wouldn’t have hunted down that new information if I’d accepted NO.

Whatever your No is, reframe it merely to a not yet and see if as an opportunity to prove just how committed you are to achieving your goal. One No, or 100 No’s is not enough to stop you if you want something enough.

Three: That Thing You Thought You’d Never Survive… and did?

So if step 2 is about hunting for better actions step 3 is about hunting for the emotional fortitude.

The proof you have of surviving something that at the time likely seemed unsurvivable.

Perhaps it was a break up. A business failure. A serious illness suffered personally or by someone you love.

The UN-fun fact is that each of us will encounter extreme hardship at some point in our lives. Situations that before you’re actually in them – you might not think them survivable – it’s like the strength arrives only at the time you need it.

You surprise yourself at just how resilient you can be… when forced to.

If extreme hardship can’t be avoided, then at least it can be drawn on in the future as proof to yourself of just how much you’re capable of. As the popular adage tells us: “This too shall pass.”

There are a multitude of things that had I known in advance the pain, the anxiety, the money and Time and JOY they would exact from me… I likely would not have undertaken them. However equally I’m certain I’m a better, stronger, wiser, more empathic person for each experience.

I’m certain it’s the same for YOU too.

We’re both also more of an inspiration to ourselves as a result of each hugely Un-fun experience we muscle on through.

To get actionable today let’s roll with part of step one. What’s something you CONTINUE to do in that area of your life at which you’re excelling? You’re actually somewhat of a consistency Queen (or King!) at that one thing.

And whether you knew it or not (now you do!) it’s one way you’re being an inspiration to you.

It’s also one thing you can model or draw inspiration from and find a CONTINUE action that relates to achieving your body gain goal. That’s the action step for today.

It also brings us to the end of todays show. Thanks so much for hanging with me today. I hope you can join me for the Wednesday weigh-in show where we’ll cover: Preventing A Cheat Meal Becoming A Binge Fest!

If you liked this you’ll also like: Judgement: The zero value emotion that may be stalling your weight loss.

If you’re yet to share the Healthification love – just click here to zip over to iTunes and leave an honest rating and review. It’d help me out big time. With gratitude, Kate.