5 Tips to Overcome Your Resistance to Change

By Lynda Enright

CHANGE is hard! Whether it is an organizational change that needs to occur in your work, a change in your personal or family life or a change in your behavior to achieve a healthier you - you may face resistance.

Resistance is defined as "anything that slows or stops movement or keeps movement from happening". 

When it comes to changing your behavior to live a healthier life, there will be people, places, things, feelings and emotions that will slow or stop movement from happening.

Can you do anything about it? Absolutely! Acknowledging the reasons for resistance and addressing them will help you get the movement towards change you desire:

1. Notice your objections

"I don't have time." Time is the number one reason people claim they don't make some of the healthy behaviors they desire - meal planning and cooking to eat well, exercising, getting adequate sleep.

What is the real cause for this objection? How can you make changes to your schedule or your focus so time becomes available for healthy choices?

It won't make any difference. What the absolute outcome of a change may be cannot be known with certainty.

There is plenty of research to support that eating well, exercising regularly and getting adequate sleep is good for your health.

But for you personally, do you feel confident that making a change is going to improve your health or reach other health goals you may have?

Spend some time thinking about the benefits you will attain from the change you would like to make. Then decide what habits need to be put in place to allow that change to happen.

I have tried to change before and have failed. Of course if you have made similar efforts in the past, it is easy to think this will be just another failed attempt.

Re-frame the past attempts. Recognize what was different then from where you are now.

2. Identify what's in it for you

Not developing heart disease may be what's in it for you. But that may be too far away to grasp. Consider what shorter-term benefits there may be from the change.

Am I going to feel better? Will I have more energy? Will I look better? Am I going to be able to wear the clothes I haven't worn in ages?

3. Accept that you will have an emotional reaction to change

It's normal to feel emotional about making changes to your behavior. It may mean a change to your social life? Perhaps there will be people in your life who don't support the changes you desire?

You may have to give up something you enjoy doing so you can make more time for adequate sleep or regular exercise. Pretending that these changes will not bring up emotions is counterproductive.

Start by acknowledging the emotion, accepting it and working through it rather than avoiding it.

4. Prepare the best you can

Change that leads to great health and improved well-being will not happen overnight. Start by taking one step to create an environment that will make change easier.

Set aside a time in your schedule for taking a first step. Consider starting a Pinterest board and start posting recipes that appeal to you.

Or talking with a friend about activities that you can do together that will help you reach your goals.

5. Connect the change to the analytical and emotional portions of your brain

You may think logically that the change is good - reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, or weight loss. But there is the emotional part of the brain to consider as well.

How will your improved health make you feel? Will greater energy allow you to feel happier in your family life?

When you know change in your lifestyle is necessary to achieve your best health, address your resistance to change.

When you can first identify your resistance and take action to overcome those barriers you will be closer to the healthy lifestyle you desire.

Lynda Enright, MS, RD, CLT is certified as a Wellness Coach and LEAP Therapist who partners with individuals who want to look and feel amazing.

Lynda helps individuals improve their health by addressing each individual as the whole person finding the causes of weight gain, fatigue, bloating, acid reflux, congestion, brain fog or achy joints.

For tips on eating well and balancing a healthy lifestyle, visit http://www.BeWellConsulting.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8956040

Building Self Confidence the Right Way

By Lesley A Knowles

YOUR confidence level depends on what you do and where you stand in your life right now.

When your confidence decreases, the best thing to do is pause, take a good look at yourself and figure out the steps you need to regain conviction. Success will come if you are able to do this.  

Pic courtesy of  www.quoteimg.com

 Lack of confidence will lead to doubts and derail your success. That is why it is important to boost one's self-esteem.

There are various ways to enhance your confidence, depending on the level you want. Self-respect does not happen instantaneously. But it will not take you an entire life span either.

You will see everything taking shape if you pay attention to this task:

* It is necessary to give yourself some credit for accomplishing targets no matter how small these may be.

* Concentrate not only on problems but achievements as well. Be pleased with the positive things that have come into your life.

The mere thought of your capabilities and strong points provide you with happiness and raise confidence levels.

* Be grateful for pleasant things which you have obtained. Eliminate all anxieties and be contented with what you have. Avoid a sense of inferiority since it can only lead to a shortfall of confidence.

* Develop a positive outlook in life. This will absolutely raise your confidence levels. Adopting a pessimistic viewpoint will not do you any good

The key is to look at the positive side of things. Think of yourself as highly competent just like your triumphant colleagues.

A positive mind can bring you happiness. Change your insights and your feelings will follow.

* Prepare for any eventualities. Time will come when things can be ambiguous so you need to cope quickly.

Be ready for anything or else you will be losing your sense of worth. Choose things that will make you comfortable and boost your confidence.

* Stay away from people who will attempt to bring you down and instill in your mind that you are not competent in achieving your objectives.

It does not matter if unscrupulous individuals surround you for as long as believe that things can be done.

* Make it a point to dress smartly and be clean all the time, since physical appearance will also lift up your confidence.

* Finally, live an organized life. Come up with a do-able plan of all the things that you want to do and how soon you want to accomplish these goals.

Article source: http://EzineArticles.com/7374079

Get active.... and finally achieve your goals

By John Lee of YourBestYouEver.net

ONE of the most challenging aspects of goal achievement for many people is undoubtedly the step that involves taking action, where the proverbial ‘rubber’ hits the ‘road’.

The pity is that, as a result, wonderful plans and great ideas go no further than the fertile imaginations that conceived them, with so much creativity and enthusiasm.  

Best-selling author, Pete Winiarski

 Yet that needn’t be the case, as leading author, business consultant, speaker, results coach and transformational leader, Pete Winiarski, explains in the video you can access below.

Interviewed by Mind Movies co-founder, Natalie Ledwell, he talks with clarity, humor and simplicity about the need for and nature of action.

And with #1 international bestselling book, ‘Act Now! A Daily Action Log for Achieving Your Goals in 90 Days’ under his belt, Pete really should know what he’s talking about.

At around 16 minutes long, the video is easily digestible. But don’t be deceived – there’s some excellent information and advice here.

Take a look. Click here now: http://tiny.cc/w4vrux

The Strangest Secret Movie

The Strangest Secret Movie: HAVE you ever wondered why some people succeed... while others always seem to fail? If you answered 'Yes', then this message will be of great value to you.

You'll learn how to get from where you are now to where you want to be in the future.

This short inspirational movie is based on a timeless success principle that has been tested and proven effective throughout the ages to achieve your goals.

It was sent to me by Dr Robert Anthony and is well worth viewing at any time, but especially when you are struggling or in turmoil.

Just click on the link at the start of this post. And feel free to share it with anyone you feel could benefit.

Time to Get Vulnerable

By Darren Hardy of ‘Success’ magazine

WHEN you hear the term 'leader', most likely an array of adjectives come to mind. Some may include courageous, strong, powerful, assertive and so on.

Rarely would you think of 'vulnerability' as a trait equating with leadership. 

Darren Hardy of 'Success' magazine

 Those within leadership positions in a company may even believe that displaying signs of vulnerability to your team is a sign of weakness.

But I’m here to tell you that view is wrong. And they couldn’t be more mistaken. In reality, vulnerability is a strength.

All great leaders have vulnerability.

So, in order to help you grow into a more powerful and courageous leader, I want you to be vulnerable.

In my interview with Patrick Lencioni in the February issue of SUCCESS, he said:

“Start by coming to terms with your own vulnerability as a leader and then translate that to your team and then the rest of the organization.”

This reminds me of something Waldo Waldmen, a good friend of mine, said.

He was a Top Gun fighter pilot, like the ones you saw in the movie Top Gun, with Tom Cruise as Maverick and his co-pilot Goose.

Well, Waldo said he learned a great deal about leadership from that experience.

He explained that, after the end of every mission, they would have a debriefing. He said before it started, everyone was required to first TAKE OFF their name tags and their rank.

Now, with an even playing field, they would go over the good, the bad, and the ugly of the mission. And then the leader would take the lead, admitting their own mistakes first.

This process is what they knew as exposing your chest to daggers - meaning showing your own vulnerability first.

What this does is it creates an environment for the new hires, the young wingmen, and the young folks that are in the formation to say:

“You know what? If so and so, the flight lead, or so and so, the Top Gun, is going to share his or her mistakes, then I can do the same thing.”

But it has to come from the top down and a lot of times, it means being a little more vulnerable, a little bit more honest and open with some of the things that are going on.

He said the key is to show you are a human being first and a Top Gun or high-ranking officer second.

Now think about your own leadership meetings when you are doing an ‘after action’ review on a project, meeting or client engagement. Do YOU start the meeting by exposing your mistakes first?

Now I’m not talking about the passive-aggressive admitting of a mistake like, “I never should have trusted so and so with this project or that responsibility.”

That is the opposite of taking responsibility and exposing YOUR failings, and I see and hear that all the time. No really, where did YOU underperform? What did you do wrong?

What bad call or bad move did you make? What did you not anticipate, plan or prepare for?

Be the first to throw your mistakes, thus vulnerability, on the table. As a leader, it’s important you lead by example and set the pace.

Many years ago I had a conversation with Les Brown after he attended a keynote I did, and he gave me some really great advice.

He said, “You are a compelling speaker and certainly you have had a tremendous track record of success, but that won’t help you truly connect, empower and influence an audience.”

He continued, “You can’t just talk to people’s heads or only appeal to their intelligence. You have to talk to their hearts. You can’t move people with logic. They cannot just hear you.

“They have to feel you. And they will only feel you if they know you. Not your title or resume or track record of success, but your story, the whole story.

“The failures, shortcomings, fears and pitfalls - the whole truth of who you really are and how you got here.

“Both the triumphant and the terrible. This is what will make you real and make yourself available to be connected to.”

This was a real awakening for me and a fantastic insight. You’ll even notice a dramatic difference between my first book The Compound Effect and The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster.

You get a real insight into the true journey I took to create what you now see as the entrepreneur success story, but it has been a wild ride of failures, defeats, set-backs, and ego-bruising along the way.

I learned some really valuable lessons and the book is designed to save you from suffering some of the same consequences, and to ultimately accelerate your success.

BUT you will learn a lot more about my personal journey in The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster than you might have even learned about me in The Compound Effect.

This is thanks to learning that while people may be inspired by your success, they are empowered by knowing that you too, like them, have failed, and they too, like you, CAN succeed.

And that is what I am after - helping you realize that YES - YOU. CAN. DO. THIS.

In general, I believe we are in an era of authenticity.

People want to connect with what’s real, open, honest, transparent and authentic. If you want to be a leader today, then one of your greatest keys is to open yourself up to others.

Be real, lead by example in your honesty and openness. If people can feel you and connect with you, they will charge through walls for you.

That is real leadership, real influence, real achievement.

So, what’s your plan?

Think of one way you can open yourself up to the people on your team. How and what can you share about yourself that gives them something to connect with and FEEL?

Come up with just one and do it. Deal? You in? Will you do it? I promise you will be AMAZED at the reaction and connection you create when you do.

Article source: http://tiny.cc/gsvcux