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I wish you a warm, joyful, Happy New Year!
As I write part two of this solo podcast on, Start Of Year Reflections on Health, Happiness and Creating a Life You Love, I am sitting on a plane embarking on a chapter I’ve been working towards for over a decade.
I thought I’d get here sooner. And yet, if I’d know in advance the years, effort, frustrations, false starts and sacrifices… maybe I would not have stuck with it.
Perhaps you can relate?
That thing you want so much. That is taking significantly longer than you thought.
Not being there yet is likely costing you a lot too. So far as your health, or your happiness or living the life you love.
In part one we covered,
Lesson One: Back Yourself 100%.
Lesson Two: Utilise the power of Identify Beliefs to change a bad habit.
Lesson Three: Embrace Food Prep over Meal Prep.
Let’s power on with,
Lesson Four: Opportunity Cost.
This is the penalty you are paying, either consciously or unconsciously for the way it is right now.
There is a cost, a missed opportunity built in to ALL of our actions and inactions.
Choosing the vegan pancakes means you miss out on the avocado toast. Choosing a sleep-in means you miss out on that early morning workout. The little daily decisions add up.
They can become a lifestyle that you didn’t consciously seek out. Bit by bit you might feel stuck in your current way of living. Held in place by a consistent income stream. Tied down by commitments you’ve settled into rather than sort out.
Unless there is A LOT of pain in the way it is right now. Unless you are agonizingly aware of the gapping chasm between the life you are living and the life you want to be living… it can be tough to take the actions that will get you to that ideal life.
Because those action have consequences too.
Is there a big, brilliant decision you’ve been flirting with making? A life change that is potentially The Best decision, yet also there’s some fear, some risk, some uncertainty… I recommend Tim Ferriss’s Fear Setting exercise.
I will have the full Blog Post and TED talk linked in the show notes. Here is a brief overview:
- Define your nightmare, the absolute worst that could happen if you did what you are considering.
- What steps could you take to repair the damage or get things back on the upswing, even if temporarily?
- What are the outcomes or benefits, both temporary and permanent, of more probable scenarios?
- If you were fired from your job today, what would you do to get things under financial control? Imagine this scenario and run through questions 1–3 above.
- What are you putting off out of fear? Usually, what we most fear doing is what we most need to do.
- What is it costing you—financially, emotionally, and physically—to postpone action?
- What are you waiting for?
To quote Tim, “If you are nervous about making the jump or simply putting it off out of fear of the unknown, here is your antidote.”
Lesson Five: It’s Never ONE Big Thing.
This is a 2-part learning. First, stop hoping for that ONE big thing! It does not exist. The people that tell you it does are lying. Save yourself the time, the energy, the money and the disappointment searching for and investing in the illusive magic bullet.
Second, you need to find a way to have joy in the journey so that you can keep going consistently till all the little seemingly inconsequential things add up enough to reach a tipping point.
This does not mean I’m opposed to mentors and coaches. They can be incredibly valuable. However they are not everything.
This also does not mean I’m suggesting you blow up your life to be able to build that ideal daily routine where the journey to your next goal includes only the good bits. Exploding your life is risky and no journey had only the good bits.
To get actionable consider,
- When you have been your most happy and healthy what habits, routines and priorities were a part of your life? How can you include some of them again, even if you’re starting with the bare minimum so far as time and energy commitment?
- Who in your life do you love spending time with? How can you fit more time with them, either in person or via phone call into each week?
- What is already pretty great in your life and yet perhaps you’re taking it (or them!) for granted? Or simply not acknowledging the pleasure they bring?
Lesson Six: Effective Beats Right.
In my most popular solo podcast of the year, I shared: Why I Stopped Being an Angry Vegan.
In short, I became painfully aware of how ineffective and exhausting always being angry, frustrated and disappointed is.
How it drives a wedge in your relationships.
If you can relate please listen to E809 however here’s an overview of the actionable component of the show.
An A.B.C,
- AWARENESS of what your current way of being in the world is costing you.
- BRAINSTORM what you can stop doing and what you can start doing to make a change.
=> Stop watching the videos that break your heart.
=> Stop having the conversations with people you know do not have an open mind or an open heart.
=> Stop sharing those judgmental (yet True – I AGREE!) posts. The thing is, to share it, YOU have to see it and fixate on it, and go down that rabbit hole.
=> Stop thinking you cannot take a break.
=> Start curating your social media feeds to be filled with good news stories and happy photos.
=> If you have the means, start financially supporting the activists and organisations that do the work you can’t face right now.
=> Start sharing your delicious food and recipes.
=> Start watching the delicious food and recipe videos of creators who are reliably positive and calming.
- COMMITMENT to make those changes. Communicating the changes you are looking to make is an effective form of accountability.
On the matter of “Effective” this is something I always come back to in conversations with passionate and compassionate podcast guests I respect and admire.
Being Happy and Healthy is not about having the Right Information as much as it is about having the Right Attitude.
Is that controversial?
For the animals rights activist, truths bombs are effective disappointingly rarely. Yet, love, compassion, deliciousness and meeting someone “where they are” is regularly well received.
For the individual with a health goal, a lack of the most current, scientifically correct information is not holding you back. You already know enough to get great results.
As I think of what the person who is not there yet could most benefit from, it is clearly everything we have covered in this 2-part podcast.
From E849,
Lesson One: Back Yourself 100%.
Lesson Two: Utilise the power of Identify Beliefs to change a bad habit.
Lesson Three: Embrace Food Prep over Meal Prep.
From todays show,
Lesson Four: Opportunity Cost.
Lesson Five: It’s never ONE big thing.
Lesson Six: Effective beats right.
Wherever you are in the world, I hope you are feeling some hope and positive anticipation for the year to come.
I know it is easier said than done. However, increasingly I believe we are going to have to become expert at hunting down the good news, focusing on the positives and feeling grateful for the tiny things that could – if we let then – bring joy to our every single day.
That’s it for this week in Healthification.
However, have you checked out my Plant Positive Journal yet?
I am so very proud of this stunning journal. There is now also a fillable PDF version available for immediate download so wherever you are in the world you can still get Plant Positive with me!
If you are plant-based curious. Or already vegan and need a healthier approach to the lifestyle.
In this daily journal you will learn how to consistently prioritise food, exercise and other healthy habits that build on each other to have a compounding and lasting effect.
To help you create a BODY and LIFE you LOVE by successfully managing your TIME and your MIND.
It makes a great gift to YOU!
Or, for the loved one who is plant-based curious or who has been a valuable vegan ally to you.
You can check out the printed version HERE:
Plus, the fillable PDF HERE:
Importantly, the journal follows a twelve month format however is not dated so it is perfect to use at ANY time of the year.
With love and gratitude plant friends.
If you liked “Start Of Year Reflections on Health, Happiness and Creating a Life You Love.” you’ll also like E656: Plant Strong Blueprint: 6 Steps To Prevent Weight Gain Over Christmas and New Year (Part 1).
If you liked “Start Of Year Reflections on Health, Happiness and Creating a Life You Love.” you’ll also like 446: 3 Strategies To Stay On Track With Your Best Plant Based Eating Choices This Holiday Season.
If you liked “Start Of Year Reflections on Health, Happiness and Creating a Life You Love.” you’ll also like 502: How To Conspire For Your Success This Holiday Season!
If you liked “Start Of Year Reflections on Health, Happiness and Creating a Life You Love.” you’ll also like 364: 12 Tactics To Tackle Holiday Season Stress.
If you liked “Start Of Year Reflections on Health, Happiness and Creating a Life You Love.” you’ll also like E641: 11 P.L.A.N.T. S.T.R.O.N.G. Standards For A Fit, Healthy, Mind and Body.
EATING PLANT BASED IS SO MUCH EASIER THAN I EXPECTED!