So, you’ve made the courageous decision to begin your journey to a healthy lifestyle. That is wonderful and you are a brave soul. The road ahead will be a long and tough one, but rewarding and amazing as well.

Now that you’ve made up your mind, you’ll need to pin down your “Why” and make sure it’s one that reflects self-love and positivity instead of disdain and negative self-image.

What do you love about yourself RIGHT NOW?

Do you have a personality that lights up the room? Are your eyes brilliant and always sparkling? Your sense of style is unmatched. Maybe you have a spirit that makes others feel warm, safe, and loved. What do you love about YOU?

This may sound silly at first, but figuring this out is an excellent way to trigger more positive thoughts about yourself. Say these things out loud. Look at yourself in the mirror and don’t look for flaws, look for beauty! God made you unique, special, and different. Improving yourself should not be about putting yourself down because the way you look or a few bad habits here or there. It’s about building onto the good qualities you already possess in order to be your BEST self, not a different person.

What do you want to improve and is your mindset in line with SUCCESS?

Now is time to do that “Building” I was just talking about. To be better you need to THINK better, not about what is not going well or what you are currently doing wrong. Think of it this way; instead of saying, “I have awful eating habits and I need to lose weight”, say “I’m going to eat better and reach a healthy weight that allows me to feel my best”. If you want to be able to walk a 5K with your co-workers this summer say, “This summer I will be able to walk that 5K, no sweat”, and not “I guess I’ll give it a shot, but I know me. I probably won’t make it”. It is important to figure out what you want to improve on, but even more so to fix your mindset to align with success and motivation and not premeditated defeat.

Who are you REALLY doing this for? And where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

Found your favorite qualities and said them out loud? Done! Positive goal setting in place of negative put downs? Check! But here’s the scary part. Who are you ACTUALLY doing this for? Your friend who always looks at in a disapproving way when you order a burger while she munches on kale? Your boyfriend whose ex was a size 2, but you’re a size 10? Your mom who teases you about holding on to that baby weight when your child is 2 now? Well, let me tell you this. Changing for others, no matter who they are or how long you’ve known them WILL NOT help you, mentally, spiritually, or physically. These types of pressure situations, where you do something to “please” others who don’t have to stand in your shoes, cause strain, stress, and anxiety. The change is usually coming from a negative place instead of place of self-love and positivity. In 5 years will you still be excited and living the lifestyle you set off on today because you love yourself and decided to be who you were created to be or will you be sitting is this same spot trying to figure out how to start again because you quit after attempting to change who you are for others?

Embracing the “After” without stopping your self-love journey

You’ve reached your goal weight. You’ve walked that 5K. You fit into your wedding dress. You lower your blood pressure and now you don’t have to take medication. Congratulations! These are all incredible and you should be proud! But this is NOT the end. It’s easy to hit your goal and slow down, but don’t. Do not get comfortable. Do not slip into old habits. Remember your “Why”. Remember this was to become your best self and not just to check off something on a list. Embrace your “After”, the you that hit your goal, but continue to progress, move forward, and be kind to yourself. Treat your body like the holy place that it is. Feed it with love. Move with love. Speak to it with love. You were created with love and you mustn't forget to treat yourself in such a way.