Your New Body Will Be The Result of Creating A New Mind

“Your body can stand almost anything. It’s your mind that you have to convince.” – Andrew Murphy

Exercise is all physical right? I’ll make the point that it’s not entirely true, of course we have to move our bodies and lift weights but it all starts in our mind.

The brain is what controls everything we do. It begins with motivation and desire to accomplish whatever task we aim to achieve. It’s also responsible for all the ways we self sabotage and fail to reach our goals.

The decision to get up and workout is just as easy as the one that allows us to remain on the couch watching episode after episode. The biggest difference each choice is how conditioned we are to pick one or the other.

For some people the idea of watching TV all day sounds awful, because they would go crazy by the lack of activity. Others may view that as the perfect kind of afternoon.

Although the actions are opposites each behavior has been conditioned in each individual through the same process. It was first a conscious decision which eventually became automatic through hundreds to thousands of repetitions.

It applies to sitting on the couch as much as it does working out. If your goal is to do more of the working out and less of the sitting on the couch then it will take a lot of conscious effort and attention to change your conditioning.

Anyone who has achieved a physique they’re proud of first gained control over their mind. It all starts with a thought that becomes intentionally repeated over time.

By doing so you not only achieve your desired goals but you become a new person in the process. Consider the followig ideas.

Habits will follow the identity

We all have a deep need to stay true to the image we have created of ourselves.

An individual who identifies themselves as being someone who is trying to stop drinking is completely different from the person who labels themself as someone who doesn’t drink alcohol.

The behaviors and habits will be drastically different based on these indentities, becuase the standards that we hold ourselves to are based off our self perception.

No one wants to feel the guilt and shame that comes from doing things that do not align with how we truly feel so we do everything we can to stay consistent with our identity.

Whether it is video games, fitness, or drinking the actions we take on a daily basis will naturally fall in line with the idea of who we think we are.

Whenever I see a very fit individual I immediately have an understanding of them to a certain degree. I know this because I understand what it takes to become fit, strong, and muscular.

Even if I had no experience in the gym I would still be able to tell that person is hard working, driven, and disciplined. The consistency of a persons habits will provide a lot of insight into who they are on the inside.

Consider this, rather than putting the priority on what it is that you need to do, direct your thoughts to the type of person you need to create within yourself.

Motivation will get anyone started down a new path but it doesn’t mean that it’s the key to achieving your dream body.

Eventually that same drive that started a new routine will not be the reason for the accomplishment of the initial goals. Like everything in life motivation will come and go based on various factors so it can’t be relied upon all the time.

The fact is actions can be temporary, but it’s the accumulation of actions over time that we then call habits. On a deeper level those habits are not just because of the consistency.

There was a change in the way those actions are perceived by the individual which caused them to become more ingrained in their way of life.

Without a new perspective the old version of that individual will continue to repeat the same old patterns that provide the same results.

The people you see who are in great shape no longer view themselves and their life the same way they did when they were not fit. There was first a difference in their mindset that provided the space where they could plant seeds of change and growth.

Become the type of person who is fit

Initially, the focus may be on achieveing a fit, strong, and muscular exterior but in the beginning stages it’s the wrong perspective.

Having a vision and goals are absolutely essential to pointing you in the right direction and keeping you on track. However, the best thing to do is reframe the goals so that the focus is on becoming the type of person who has all those things.

The next time you’re put in a position where you have to make a decision regarding what to eat or whether or not to exercise ask yourself this; would someone who looks like I want to look do this?

We can make a single decision that will move us towards our goals but they need to add up. Someone who is fit and strong make multiple good decisions on a daily basis because it’s just who they have become.

It’s more than likely that were not always that way though, it’s something they built into themselves with repetitions and consistency.

Over time the same struggles you’re going through now will be irrelevant a year later if you don’t give up. We can choose the types of habits we wish to acquire by putting thought into our daily activities.

The more conscious our daily routine becomes the more opportunities we have to create new ones.

Which will inevitably create a new personality and persona in the individual who continues to do the work everyday.

Don’t be so focused on the outcome that you overlook the most important aspect of achievement, the process.

Everyday offers the chance to move towards your ideal self or away from it, each decision carries with it a powerful opportunity.

The more decisions you make that align with the identity of a fit and athletic person the closer you become the being that person.

Behavior change is the key to accomplishing everything physical.

Someone who has a habit of eating snacks late at night, taking elevators whenever they are present, or skipping the gym for weeks to months at a time has to become a new person in order to have a new body.

That old version will not achieve the kinds of results that they may dream about, because they will continue to perform the same habits that lead them to where they are currently.

Continuing to do what you’ve always done will continue to bring the same results you’ve always had. Unless you begin to change how you view yourself and what you’re capable of you’ll always be living in the same body.

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny. - Lao-Tze

Don’t give in to your resistance

Anytime you start something new there will inevitably be those times when the voice in your head will tell you not to do it.

Even when you may have been doing really great keeping up with the new routine you set for yourself. You’ll feel the tension and pull to go back to your old habits while the thought of continuing on causes an increase in tension.

This is completely normal and will probably happen more than once along your journey to a new you. It can be very uncomfortable for us subconsciously because our brain desires consistency and familiar patterns.

As you begin to make big changes in your life the comfort that comes with the usual routine begins to fade.

The tension and resistance you feel to skip the gym is the brain’s way of getting you back on track, to remain consistent with the old way.

Don’t let it deter you, acknowledge the fact that it is a natural response to changing your habits.

Most of our lives are run by subconscious programming which is why you may have the best intentions consciously but it can feel very difficult at times.

That’s because we are fighting the part of us that is most responsible for our motivation and drive.

So when you feel the urge to skip the gym, eat poorly, and fall back into old habits it’s just your brain wanting to keep the old patterns in place.

It takes a lot more effort to form new routines than it does to just keep running the old ones. Over time the more particular behaviors are repeated a stronger imprint begins to form in our brains.

The reason there is no resistance to most of the things you do on a daily basis now is because they are so conditioned that it doesn’t take much energy at all.

Eventually this is the place you want to be when it comes to diet and exercise, but within the first couple months of a new routine there will be a lot of internal push back.

When you feel it don’t give in just realize you are making changes to your brain and nervous system because it’s aware of the energy you’re expending changing up the usual routine.

We will lie to ourselves just to keep our old habits in place in an effort to reduce the amount of stress and energy expenditure as low as possible.

If two people are standing at the bottom of a hill the person who is the most out of shape will perceive the hill to be at a steeper incline than the fit person. In an effort to reduce the likelihood for them to climb it.

The same idea holds true when you have started a new routine, we don’t like unfamiliar things. Our brains will lie to us and create false feelings within us to keep us from doing anything out of the ordinary. To keep us from expending too much energy.

It takes a lot of mental and physical effort to change who we are but it’s necessary in order to achieve your goals. The you that started your journey will not be the same person who actually reaches the goal.

It’s this new person who has the physique that was initially envisioned. Focus on creating the person who has the body you dream about and eventually you’ll have both.

• Summary of main points

  1. Creating your ideal physique is more about building a strong identity than it is a strong mind.
  2. Exercise is a physical act that can only be accomplished in your mind.
  3. Our thoughts are what guide the actions we take and eventually the habits we create. Think differently about yourself and new behaviors will follow.
  4. Set out to become the type of person who is fit, not just the end goal of being fit. It will create a more lasting change.
  5. Let your resistance point you in the direction of change. It’s telling you how to remain the same so always go in the opposite direction.

• Call to action

  Whether you are already on your fitness journey or you are in the planning stages it’s important to have an idea about where you want to go. Think about what it will take to get there from where you are now. How differently do you need to approach your day in order to do what is necessary to ultimately achieve those goals? What do you need to change so that you become the type of person who looks and feels the way you want? Come up with a few ideas and then start implementing just one, preferably the one you think will be the easiest and most impactful.