What does it mean to change your because?
Did you ever sing The Song that Never Ends when you were a kid?
When I was in High School, we’d belt this song out while riding the bus on our way to sports tournaments. Finally, someone (probably a coach) would yell, “Stop!” And the song would trail off as one student after another stopped singing at random points until one lone singer with all eyes on them finally trailed off at the ‘forever just because’.
Everyone needs a Because In their Fitness Song
The ‘because’ in our Fitness song is our ‘why’. And a ‘why’ has to be different than a goal. When we set end goals our song often stops when we attain it. When it comes to fitness, goals should be stepping stones and our ‘because’ should go on forever. If you can change your because, you can change your life.
Does This Sound Familiar?
You’ve signed up to run a 5k or 10k, or maybe a half or full marathon. You’ve trained and built your stamina, but your why was the race. And when the race was over, you’re running routine became sporadic. You managed to run a few times a week, but work and/or homelife was all consuming.
So you didn’t run for several weeks.
Then running became hard as you lost fitness.
Eventually, it was easier to come up with excuses not to run than it was to lace up your shoes.
Or How about This?
Six years ago, I started eating low carb. I’d known for years that I was very sensitive to carbs. We’re talking an avalanche of cravings from one serving. Here’s what I experienced when I cut my carb intake:
- Greater mental clarity
- Significantly reduced feelings of anxiousness and impending doom
- Less reactive
- Increased focus and energy
- Thicker hair
- Less dry skin
- And I lost 20 pounds
But . . . the weight loss was my goal.
The other benefits were noteworthy by-products, but because my ‘goal’ was the weight loss, once I reached that goal, I reverted to old habits.
And you guessed it … my weight gradually increased over the next 6 years. It came gradually, but it kept creeping up until I had gained more than the twenty pounds lost, and I experienced the reverse of what I listed above. In fact, the symptoms intensified.
It’s was hard to get going again and the reason was the ‘forever’ part of the song.
FOREVER?
Change Your Because
Why are the actions that make us feel best so hard to practice daily?
I started back into my low carb lifestyle at the end of January this year. I needed to improve my mental well-being as well as my physical well-being. This time my ‘because’ was my overall health and I came to terms with forever.
What does fitness look like if it’s a value?
Do you love to push your body? Do you like the sense of accomplishment that you feel when you’ve done something that’s made you sweat? Is it exhilarating to glide down a ski hill, run a trail, dip your paddle into the water, or peddle up a hill? What about that walk through the woods or following the path along the creekside?
How do you feel when you make food choices that are best for your body and mind?
There’s a strength that comes from knowing that you’re no longer held hostage by food cravings.
Don’t be anesthetized by forever!
Change your mindset. Our “forevers” get shorter by the day. Make the most of each one. Rather than a mindset of denial, rewrite your mindset to one of abundance – abundant well-being, abundant adventure, abundant gratitude.
Change the because in your song.
It’s human nature to want to reward ourselves. Whether it’s a feeling or a tangible, we play games to motivate ourselves.
When we’re over stressed or our will power is deleted, we default to our quickest feel good strategies – for me it’s eating. Suddenly that jelly filled donut is the panacea for all that ails me and my brain fixates until I follow through and scarf down that donut or whatever else may be handy.
The way to combat the urge is to have a plan for what you can predict. Know your triggers, rewire your default setting to support your because.
Fitness is a mindset
The brain is phenomenal.
Scientists know more about the brain now than any time in history and yet they say there is so much more to discover.
One of the empowering ideas is that we can change nonproductive and limiting thoughts.
Here’s how I explained it to students who told me “they couldn’t help it” when they were sent to my office for repeat behaviours that interfered with their learning. My drawing is awful but I tried to illustrate it for them anyway. For you I have a picture.
When I was a kid, we lived on a farm called Hidden Valley.
Our driveway wound down the hillside for 1/2 a mile. We named the two corners that we could see from the house – first corner, second corner – after that the corners were just confusing reference points.
Anyway, during summer storms, the driving rain cut channels into the sandy driveway. These channels ran from the first corner and fanned out when they reached the farmyard.
The harder it rained, the deeper the channels cut into the driveway. We’d put on bathing suits and play under that giant sprinkler in the sky.
Using sticks we’d divert the channels by scratching the beginning of a new one. As the water flowed into the new one, that channel became deeper, more established.
That’s how the brain works. As we introduce and repeat beliefs and routines that support the life we want for ourselves, we can change the path of least reistance into one that supports our because. Over time it becomes our new default pattern.
Rewrite Your Because for Fitness and start living it today
- Know and plan for your triggers
- Identify your limiting and erroneous beliefs.
- Establish beliefs and actions that takes you on a fitness journey that never ends.
May your fitness journey go on and on my friend . . .
P.S. Some people have chronic illnesses that prevent them from achieving “society’s” standard of fitness. To all of you, fitness is relative. If you’ve established beliefs and actions that are empowering you to get through each day to the best of your ability, you are miles ahead of many of us.
P.S.S. Fitness comes easily to some people. Or does it? Perhaps it just looks easy. I’d love to hear about your successes, challenges, strategies and /or questions in the comments below.
Yes! I want to receive your newsletter!
Simply . . .