I wake up and I’m pessimistic for the day. I don’t want to get up. I’m sure there’s loads of things to be done; I should exercise; what will I eat – I want chocolate! It’s misery and woe and I drag myself to the kitchen.
It’s not meant to be like this. Yesterday I told myself today would be The Day. I was going to be optimistic and positive and start my resolutions with determination and vigour. But I guess I didn’t get the memo.
After a breakfast of scrolling through mindless screens, I went to the toilet. And without TMI, I did a BIG poo. It was painful and I was genuinely stressed by it. It felt like I birthed a child. And I felt SO much better after it. The thing is, I did that to myself. For nearly a week, I have sat and filled myself with crap. I did no exercise. There were no vegetables in sight. What you eat matters. It affects your health – physical and mental. I was renewed with promises and plans – I will be healthy! This is it!!
Within 30 minutes, I was back in my kitchen, planless and scrolling again.
You choose. Only you can change you. [this is excluding medical pathology which requires proper treatment!]. Your mindset, your drive. Your will to succeed. It has to come from within you somewhere. And the thing is, it’s not in the big moments. There needs to be a consistency and continual drive that underpins it all. Positivity. And this won’t come easily or quickly. If you’re like me, my past has been plagued with negative thoughts, lack of self-confidence and more recently hopelessness. This seems to be my baseline. This is what needs to change. I cannot expect to eat well and exercise regularly if I do not remember why I wanted to in the first place. I want to feel better – that is the goal. And it will come from little changes, continually. Not running the full marathon tomorrow, and then never again.
I was listening on the radio yesterday on my way to work. On it they were interviewing a guy whose podcast interviewed famous people and their tips to success. In the short span of time, it really struck something in me. One of the key things was having goals (there was a fancy term, but I can’t remember). Having that something, a long term goal, that reinforces what each day is about. (I’m going to find out who it was and get his book – I’ll write a review on the book when I do!)
PMA. My initials. But also – Positive Mental Attitude. And ultimately, beyond calories consumed and miles run and litres of water drank; I this may have a heavy influence on our health. Without it, I don’t feel motivated to cook the home meal, or go for that run I know I should do. And this won’t be easy, it’s not a quick app to install on your phone and be done. I’m not even sure how to do it, or have it. But I’ll work on it. I need it. And I will share my journey, the good and the bad, on my way to building and maintain my PMA – hopefully resulting in weight loss and happiness gained.
The PMA Way 