So much of what we do is influenced by the cues we take from our environment. Our physical surroundings and the people in our lives impact our behaviors.
Go to a buffet and there’s a greater chance you’re going to eat more than usual. A co-worker might bring in donuts. Your friends might push you to “live a little” when you go out.
All of these things give you a gentle nudge in one direction or another. And some of them are really hard to control.
Despite our best efforts, our physical environment can’t always be changed. But that’s OK because our most influential environment exists in our heads.
Our mindset is the real environment we live in. It’s what dictates the perspectives we take and the lens in which we view the world.
Our mindset is what determines whether we act independently of people, places, and things. Our mindset is what drives the actions we take.
And the good news is it’s more flexible than our physical environment. We can change it independently of our external reality.
That’s why I focus so much on mindset. Changing your mindset and the programming it’s gone through over a lifetime is the most powerful thing you can do for your transformation.
For years I focused on calories and meal plans and workout programs trying to get clients to change. And while some people had success, most people didn’t experience long-term transformation.
It wasn’t until I started taking an inside out approach that my success rate as a coach improved. By addressing the root of their struggles my clients started to permanently change the way they thought, felt, and acted.
The result? Transformation – a change in identity both on an internal and external level.
If you’re struggling to get where you want to be it’s not because you don’t know how many calories to eat or what exercise is best.
Your transformation won’t be found in these external things. Transformation is an inside out experience.
So turn inward and start changing the mental environment you live in. And then watch your external reality change as a side effect.