To Change Your Life, Believe In YOU!

By Shannon Dey

Although the path may seem tough and the road may seem long, BELIEVE in your ability to do what it takes to succeed.

We have all heard the mantras a million times with their cheerful message of success, “Believe and Achieve” or “Believe in Yourself and Anything is Possible.” However, more often than not, we don’t take these statements to heart. We let them slip by without registering the meaning, or perhaps we give them a flippant “Yeah, right!” Before you brush off these simple but powerful statements, STOP and take note! A huge factor in success is amazingly simple, yet oftentimes difficult – the BELIEF in yourself! Many times, women start on a journey toward a weight-loss or fitness goal and end up quitting simply because they don’t believe that they can do it. The road seems too long, or the results don’t come fast enough, and they lose faith. In order to change your life, you have to BELIEVE that you have the power within yourself to make a change and succeed!

When you believe in your ability to accomplish what is necessary to succeed, your likelihood for ACTUAL success is much greater than if you lack such a belief. Countless research studies have supported this exact point. Belief in oneself or in scholastic terms, “self-efficacy,” has proven to be a strong factor in various theories of personality. In addition, according to acclaimed researcher and psychiatrist Albert Bandura, self-efficacy is a very strong determining factor in our self-esteem and ultimately our ability to succeed and reach our goals.

What factors determine whether or not your belief in your abilities is high enough to aid success? Here are a few characteristics:

People with a low sense of self-efficacy:

• Avoid challenging tasks and situations.

• Believe that difficult tasks and goals are beyond their capabilities.

• Focus on past failures and the possibility of negative outcomes.

When working toward fitness and weight-loss goals, someone with low self-efficacy may avoid trying new training methods because they fear that they may be too difficult, or they may not believe in their ability to follow a nutrition plan. They may also dwell on past weight-loss failures and the fear of how they will look due to the lack of ability to stick to a plan.

People with a high sense of self-efficacy:

• View challenges as exciting tasks to be mastered.

• Develop deep interest in the activities in which they participate.

• Recover quickly from setbacks and disappointments.

An individual on a fitness journey who believes her ability to succeed is more likely to try new fitness activities and programs, become deeply committed to fitness goals, and spend time learning about new ways in which to reach those goals. Someone with high self-efficacy will not dwell on past weight-loss failures, nor will they become disheartened and unmotivated when results are not immediately seen.

Everyone experiences times when belief in ourselves is high and times when it’s low. The trick is to maximize our self-efficacy and reap the rewards of the habits that are associated with such positive thoughts. Here are a few tips that will help you “put on your big girl panties” and face your weight-loss and fitness challenges with confidence, strength, and a BELIEF in YOU!

• Positive Self Talk

By telling yourself OVER and OVER that you CAN succeed, you will actually change your mind and start to believe!

• Find Inspiration In Others

Find someone you admire for their fitness philosophies, dedication, or success. Follow the path of this individual and realize that they put their pants on one leg at a time just like you, and if they can do it, YOU can do it!

• BE an Inspiration!!

Document your journey to inspire others, and help others get started with their goals. You will find that by helping OTHERS, you are more likely to feel GOOD about yourself and be positive about your efforts.

• GO FOR IT!!

Stop sitting around thinking about it, get out there and GO! When negative thoughts start to creep in, do something POSITIVE for yourself! Even if you simply get up from your desk and do a few quick squats, do SOMETHING to prove to yourself that you have the ability to get up and get it done!

Although the path may seem tough and the road may seem long, BELIEVE in your ability to do what it takes to succeed. The physique and fitness level that you seek is already within you! It is simply up to you to BELIEVE in your abilities, KNOW in your heart that you can succeed and be diligent with your efforts; you will be surprised at just how far you will go!

And remember, “Someday is NOT a Dey of the Week!”

Reference:

Kassin S. (2008). Psychology in modules. Boston, MA: Pearson.

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