Lifestyle Success - An Attitude Adjustment
Get an attitude adjustment and change your lifestyle permanently!
By Danna Demetre, RN

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A New Year brings hope of a fresh start. Yet, so many of us have failed year after year to stick to our resolutions, that we no longer set any goals at all. If you DID set goals this year…how are you doing so far? If sticking to your goals is difficult, I encourage you to toss out your old unhealthy attitudes and replace them with healthier perspectives.

Do any of these attitudes describe you?

• The “All Or Nothing” Attitude. This attitude is the most common of all. It’s the one that convinces you that Monday is the best day to start any new lifestyle change. And when the next Monday falls at the end of the month, you may as well wait until the 1st of the next month! All or nothing thinking leads you to believe that if you aren’t “on” a program, you’re “off”. It says nothing counts unless you’re doing it “all the way”. Nothing is further from the truth in living a healthy lifestyle. Every thing counts. And it’s the small stuff day after day that will make the biggest difference. So throw out your “all or nothing” attitude and learn to adjust mid-course, cut your losses and move on.

• The “Quit Before You Start” Attitude. This attitude says, “I always blow it, I always end up quitting, I won’t even start this time.” This is the destructive thinking that has grown out of years of failure. Don’t become its pawn. Draw a line in the sand and stop allowing yourself to wallow in past failure. Start celebrating every little success as a small deposit in your future.

• The “Quick Fix” Attitude. Have you ever watched a toddler deal with delayed gratification? When they’re hungry or want to play with another child’s toy…they want it NOW. As adults, we understand we have to sometimes wait to fulfill our desires. Yet, in the area of our body, I am amazed at how people repeatedly pursue “quick fix or magic bullet” solutions to their health and weight management issues. This year embrace a powerful truth. Slow, consistent change that you can live with most days for the rest of your life will make changes in your body and health that will LAST. That is called a lifestyle change.

• The “It’s Not My Fault” Attitude. “My husband is always bringing home Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.” “My wife won’t let me put a gym in the garage.” “The kids won’t eat anything but hamburgers & fries.” This attitude blames everyone but the real culprits, you and me! Take responsibility and stop letting others influence your choices. Get rid of this attitude and excuse once and for all!

• The “I Don’t Have Time” Attitude. Talents and wealth may vary from person to person. There is one great equalizer in life…we all possess the same portion of time. We share the same 60 minutes of each hour and 24 hours of each day. The difference is in how we choose to invest it. We have time for that which we decide is most important. For most of us, time does not get easier to manage. Short of retirement or death, it will always be a matter of choice. Choose to be the master of your time and find small consistent ways to invest in your lifestyle daily. If you wait until tomorrow, it will never come. Before you know it, it’s too late.

• The Healthy Attitude. A healthy attitude is one that finds a balance between current pleasure and future benefit. It allows freedom for flexibility and occasional indulgences without sacrificing health and wellness. A healthy attitude says, “It’s my body and my choice. I’m choosing this.”

To reach your goals and realize lasting change you must:

1. Set the Right Goal – Is it realistic and appropriate?

2. Have the Right Motive – Does your goal honor God? Does it promote long-term health?

3. Maintain an Accurate Perspective – Gain a healthy attitude and put your goal in its proper place with respect to the other dimensions of your life.

4. Become Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind – Habits and behaviors change permanently when you think differently. Identify your lies and tell yourself the truth. This is not a one-time exercise in positive thinking. This is a lifetime habit of focusing on truth in all dimensions of your life.

5. Surrender Daily – Give up your desires and frustrations to God. Pray for the strength and endurance to live a godly life under His power.

6. Live in the Moment – Don’t worry about how you will do tomorrow. Don’t make black & white, all or nothing commitments. Remember what Jesus said: “Today has enough trouble of it’s own.” Deal with today, today. Evaluate your failures and celebrate each small success, TODAY.

No goal is worth your “commitment” until you have made the ultimate goal to put God first in your life. By focusing on His Word, His Love, His Promises, His Plan for your life…all the extraneous details of your life will fall into clearer perspective.

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