Hundreds of thousands of Dutch people are overweight and want to achieve a healthier weight. Although it is clear that they want to make a change, it is difficult to do so. One of the main reasons for this is a lack of effective communication. With others, but especially with oneself. In this article, you will read 5 tips to improve communication and goal-setting in order to be more successful in achieving them.
When the goal is to lose weight, in many cases, you communicate incorrectly with your subconscious mind.
After all, to lose weight, you have to be overweight. After losing 10 kilos, do you quickly gain weight again?
There is a good chance that you still had the goal of ‘losing weight’ in your mind. To achieve this, you need to gain some extra kilos first, and your subconscious mind will often prompt actions that result in weight gain.
The goal of ‘losing weight’ is very vague and can never be achieved. Instead, it is much more valuable to focus on a specific weight and/or body fat percentage.
If you want to drive from Amsterdam to Nijmegen, what do you focus on?
Leaving Amsterdam?
Or do you concentrate on arriving in Nijmegen, because that is where you want to go?
Obviously, the latter is the better approach.
How to Set Goals
When setting goals the right way, they meet certain criteria. It ensures that you have a clear vision of your goals and that they will be easier to achieve.
1. Describe the end goal, not the process. As mentioned above, set the goal to weigh 60 kilos or have a body fat percentage of 15%, instead of focusing on the process, such as ‘losing weight’.
2. Make sure it’s your own goal. Committing 100% to something because your partner or society expects it from you is very difficult. So difficult, in fact, that it is almost impossible to achieve your goal. Intrinsic motivation is the best driver for success.
3. Describe your goal in a positive way. ‘I don’t want to feel lethargic and overweight anymore’ sends a very different signal to your subconscious mind than ‘I feel energetic and have a healthy weight’. Focus on where you want to go, not on what you no longer want.
4. Make sure your goal is concrete. If you want to improve the above goal (‘I feel energetic and have a healthy weight’), make it concrete. For example, say ‘By September 1st, I will weigh 60 kilos and be able to walk up 3 flights of stairs without getting out of breath.’ By doing this, your goal becomes concrete, and you know exactly what you mean and what needs to happen. Terms like ‘fitter, healthier, more energetic, leaner, and stronger’ are very vague, and it can be easy to settle for only a slight improvement.
5. Share your goals with others! People have an irresistible tendency to want to help others. When you inform others about what you want to achieve, you can count on support when needed. Moreover, you create a greater commitment to yourself.
If you want to be successful in fitness, business, relationships, or anything else, it is important to communicate effectively with yourself. Where you want to go should be clearly imprinted in your mind instead of, for example, the process required to get there.
