When we have the urge to change, we look to magazines, social media, advertisements, friends, professionals and other sources for inspiration. The truth is, when we seek external validation, we are only standing in our own way.
Creating an expectation that is based on someone else’s reality sets us up to feel like we are falling flat of achieving our dreams or goals. Instead, we should own the uniqueness of our own situation and set goals to improve what we already have. A genuine sense of achievement can only happen after we learn who we really are and why we decided to show up in the first place. Along the way, it is important to remind ourselves why we started, to inspire ourselves to keep going.
True inspiration is the kind you earn yourself by following your own advice. If you want to make a lasting change, start by becoming your own inspiration. Here’s how.
Step One: Recognize.
It’s time to embrace everything you are—and everything you aren’t.
Knowing who you are and embracing those values in all aspects of your life grounds you and builds a strong foundation. We can’t expect to change ourselves if we don’t know where we are starting in the first place.
The process of making a lasting change starts when you recognize who you are, deciding you love that person and choosing to pursue something more for yourself. This phase is a huge step. It’s your chance to come to terms with the person you are and realize that you have the power to choose who that person is going to become.
When we align our actions with our principles, confidence pours out of us. This confidence is what will elevate the decision to change into being proactive in changing.
Step Two: Reflect.
Even the word imperfect says “I’m perfect.”
You’ve done the hard part and been brave enough to decide you want to make a change. You were bold enough to take the first step; the second step takes courage—courage to reflect on your past, the challenges you’ve faced, the successes you have experienced.
Maybe you’ve tried to make a change before, or maybe this is your first time. Regardless, it takes a fighter to consider all you’ve been through and still decide to follow through with action.
You are inspired enough to tell yourself that no matter what’s happened before this point, you’re ready for it to be different this time.
Step Three: Take control.
Do it for you.
Why force yourself to continue a routine you hate? Taking control of what you spend your time and energy on is a motivator when focusing on reaching a goal.
When you focus on intrinsic motivators, like feeling good both physically and emotionally, instead of extrinsic motivators like appearance, you are more likely to stick to a plan.
A huge bonus of taking this step is that you are more likely to permanently adopt a lifestyle you feel good doing instead of getting stuck feeling like it’s a punishment or just another “phase.”
Step Four: Commit.
Make it official.
You’ve taken control of your life, and you have decided to make a lasting change. Now, it’s time to commit.
Simply talking about doing something won’t accomplish your goals. You have to commit to your word and take action. Now it’s time to sign up, show up and follow through with the promise you made to yourself.
Following through on a commitment is a huge success. Success is what leads to inspiration. Inspiration leads to transformation in ways you always dreamed of.
The chance to transform and elevate your life starts with a single commitment. Don’t know what to commit to? Join us for our six-week Commit-2-Fit challenge!
Step Five: Inspire.
Your transformation has the power to inspire others.
Make it public, tell the world! The more people you tell about the commitment you made and the goals you have, the more accountable you will hold yourself to your commitment. You may even inspire someone else.
Remember, this is the life you’ve envisioned for yourself, the one that makes you feel like the happiest, healthiest and most inspired version of yourself. That’s the kind of long-lasting change that has the power not just to transform your life but also to inspire the lives around you.
Most importantly, be proud of every step along this journey.
Whatever goal you are after, being your own inspiration means showing up for yourself and also being patient and giving yourself grace when you need it.
Change doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen when you are passionate about the person you are doing it for: you.
If you want to learn more about how to transform your life and sign up for Burn Boot Camp’s Commit-2-Fit challenge, click here.
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