Is it true? Or is it 'you'?

If you are desperate to lose weight so you can feel like you and fit into your old wardrobe.

Or if you want to finally change your habits, break the cycle of negativity and feel happier every day.

The solution might just lie in this blog.

Everyone has weak spots and everyone has blind spots.

Areas that we know we need to work on that would help. Get more sleep, do more meal prep, plan food in advance, exercise more consistently.

That’s my list out of the way. What have you got to work on?

But then lying out of sight are our blind spots. The areas we have no idea exist. OR we are absolutely certain we have got nailed.

The issue here is we wholeheartedly believe them.

Not out of malice or intentional deception.

They have just always been there.

Lying in wait.

And lying is an apt word.

Because they aren’t true.

They are just stories that you have either subconsciously told yourself or others have told you and you’ve believed.

“There’s no time to exercise”

“I’m trying my best”

“I can’t say “no I’m not drinking”

"I'm eating enough protein and veg"

On and on and on. We all fall victim to these stories. This isn't malicious, it's just how we work as humans.

Harriet was a client of mine who was a great example of this.

"I have to clean the house before I go to bed"

"I have to pick my son up from his job late at night"

"I have to look after the home and the boys, there's no time for me to pursue my passions"

And she was right. All of these things did have to be done.

The blind spot?

The existence above was all put in place by her. She was choosing to do the cleaning. Pick her son up from work. And not prioritising her time.

It was her choice. Her truth. Not the absolute truth. She was clouded by her desires, identity and biases.

So what happened?

I asked her what happened if she didn't clean right then or went a few days longer than she had before? (Nothing - just more time)

And what if she died, what would happen to her son then and his job? (He would either quit, get a taxi or a lift from someone else. She didn't HAVE to do this, it was her choice and she became more cheerful when doing it)

And what about time for her passions? (Some time tracking, accountability and being challenged revealed that she was far from optimising her time, she prioritised, scheduled her learning and finished her tutoring course!)

All while losing weight.

AND she signed up when her husband had been ill in intensive care! What a lady!

BUT don't feel bad. Most people, myself included are the same when it comes to these stories.

The next part is key.

Look at what you want to achieve, look at the steps you need to take to get there and now look at the excuses.

But don’t nod, agree and pat yourself on the back for doing an excellent job and that there was nothing else you could do just yet.

Take a deep breath and ask yourself if there was more you could do.

Or put another (more antagonising) way. Is there someone out there with the same circumstances you have, doing more to achieve their goals than you are?

Hint - the answer begins with Y and rhymes with guess.

You are capable of finding solutions to your problems, you just have to look beyond what you think is possible and action the steps necessary.

Odds on it won’t be anywhere near as bad as you think it will and you’ll be glad you did it when you start to feel the positive results of doing so. Just like Harriet.