Often when we set health goals, we’re focused in on what we need to DO.

We write down a goal that goes something like “I will go to the gym three days a week before work, I will eat healthier meals, eat more vegetables, and I will start a daily meditation practice.”

Sound about right to you?

As you can see, though, it’s very focused on what you need to do. This is how most goal-setting systems work, even the SMART goal setting system. Focusing exclusively on what you need to DO is flawed, though.

Think of it this way.

Every single person who applies for a job and goes to the job interview has the same goal – they all want to get hired. But only one person gets the job. Does that mean that everyone else’s intentions weren’t as good as that one successful person? Absolutely not. The company wasn’t interested in who had the most specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and timely goal. What the company cared about was who that person was – who they are.

When we set health goals that aren’t about what we could DO but are about who we want to BE, everything shifts.

To show you how powerful this is, I’d like to share an example with you. Let’s say you’re trying to quit smoking, and a friend offers you a cigarette. Our typical answer would be “No thanks, I’m trying to quit smoking.” When we say this, we’re relying on our willpower to resist that temptation.

But what if instead your answer to your friend was “No thanks, I’m not a smoker.”

Do you feel that shift?

Can you see how powerful it is? The first answer where you said “No thanks, I’m trying to quit smoking” you’re still identifying yourself as a smoker. But in the other answer, you’re focused on how you want to be. The person that you want to be is not a smoker, and a cigarette doesn’t tempt non-smokers so of course, you would say “no.”

Let’s look at this from a different angle. Rashmi is a registered dietician I met who wanted to break her habit of emotional eating. Even though she talked to her clients every day about different strategies to help them overcome this problem, she felt stuck and would keep coming home after a stressful day, abandon her meal plan and order some comfort food.

She had tried so many times to break free from this habit and would come home after a long day and crave comfort foods. Initially, she would say to herself “I’m going to stick to my meal plan instead.” which again is the strategy that relies on willpower.

After working together, Rashmi and I changed this statement to “I use self-care to recover after a stressful day, not food.”

In the first statement, Rashmi saw her self as someone who is trying to stop eating for emotional reasons – but still identified as an emotional eater. Now, Rashmi sees herself as someone that has a bubble bath, or reads a good book, or spends time with friends and family instead of turning to food for comfort.

It is our true nature to seek connection, to support our body with nutrient-rich food, mindful movement and life balance.

When you connect to this core of your being, taking care of yourself becomes easy because you’ll be able to create affirmation statements like Rashmi that are in-line with what works for you. You’re ready to release what you think you “should” be doing, and respond to exactly what your mind-body-spirit is asking for.

It’s not a question about if you have enough willpower and motivation anymore. You’re either a runner or not a runner. You’re either a yogi or not into yoga. You either are someone who enjoys eating a salad, or prefer your veggies another way. You either find bubble baths rejuvenating or massages relaxing, or you prefer some other kind of self-care.

Tuning into your nature, and reconnecting to your intuitive healthy lifestyle helps you create these lifestyle affirmations that align your whole life.

When your living fully aligned with your nature, that’s where the power of an intuitive healthy lifestyle starts to manifest in your life.

So how do you discover your true nature and craft those lifestyle affirmation statements that we talked about?

You need to identify what you really want.

Sure, your initial goal might be to lose some weight and get to the gym more often. But what do you REALLY want?

Do you want to go to the gym? Or do you want to feel confident in your body, be able to do whatever you want to do, have your clothes fit nicely and have all the energy you need?

Probably that, right?

The weight loss is something that will come naturally when you are living your lifestyle as the person who loves their body, has tons of energy, and can do anything they want without feeling like their body or health is holding them back.

This is where meditation comes in...

The practice of going inward, reconnecting to your intuitive nature and your inner knowing gives us space for this clarity. It will help you move from focusing on your “doing goal” and help you align with what you actually want so that you can then continue to use your meditation and unique lifestyle affirmation statements to connect to who you were meant to me.

Connecting with who you are in your core through meditation is the most essential component of successful manifestation. Start by connecting to your heart centre, and your inner knowing, because then your health goals will reflect what will truly work for you.

From my heart to yours,

Heather Thatcher – your Vitality Lifeguard