Ready for a Change in Your Health and Well-Being?
Here Is How to Get on a Path of Success and Fulfillment.
by Dr. Tamer Issa, PT, DPT
Photo by Alexas Fotos from Pexels
Many people go through periods of their life when they feel unsatisfied when it comes to their health or sense of well-being. This is more apparent now as people are feeling the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic on their lives. This dissatisfaction may be triggered by feelings of low energy, weight gain, aches & pains, or body stiffness. These physical changes are a natural result of being less active, stressful or unhealthy eating, lack of sleep, stressful thoughts and worries, and so on. Again, a bigger issue for some as a result of the current times.
If you don't like the trajectory or the path that you are currently on, it's time to make a change. The feelings of frustration and dissatisfaction can be the catalyst for positive change, but you have to do a little work for that to happen. We all know what we should do, "exercise regularly", "eat healthy", "get more sleep", "lose 10lbs", etc., but for many of us, these well-meaning positive attempts at change are short-lived (think about failed new year's resolutions). Why? I think for many it comes down to a lack of awareness and clarity of where they currently are and where they want to go. Clarity gives you power... the power to change.
Take a look at this...
Awareness leads to Clarity
Clarity leads to Focus
Focus leads to Action
Action leads to Results
Results lead to Momentum
Momentum leads to Success
Success leads to Fulfillment
Fulfillment leads to Happiness
I absolutely love this. It is so powerful. I learned this from Anil Gupta, a gifted speaker and coach who helps people struggling with life challenges. He wrote a wonderful book, 'Immediate Happiness- Be Happy Now Using Practical Steps with Immediate Proven Results'.
So let's run through this together in a real-life example.
Awareness- you recognize that you feel unhappy, unsatisfied, and unfulfilled when it comes to your physical health and overall well-being. That's the first step, awareness!
Clarity- you gain insight into where you are currently and where you want to go. I'm using weight loss as an example but any desire or goal can be worked out this we. "I feel lousy since I gained 15 lbs and I know that if I lost the weight, I would have more energy, put less strain on my body, and minimize the risk for possible health problems." That's clarity! Clarity leads to focus because now you know what you want and what you need to do to get there.
Focus- set goals and figure out a plan to achieve them. For example, "I want to lose 15 lbs in 6 months, and to do that I will need to the following...". That's focus... focus leads to action!
Action- once the plan has been laid out, you start to take action. "I will exercise 30 mins 5x/wk, sleep for 7.5 hrs per night, drink 8 glasses of water per day, eat a healthy nutrient-rich diet", etc. Taking action on several things over time leads to results.
Results- once consistent action takes place, guess what happens... you start getting results. You start feeling more energetic, you lose a few pounds, and start feeling and looking healthier. Those results due to consistent action lead to something very, very powerful...momentum!
Momentum- with gaining results, you start to feel more empowered and confident. The obstacles to consistent action become easier to deal with and you start to have real confidence that you can change. You are now riding the wave of momentum and it feels good. Momentum helps solidify new behaviors and thus leads to success.
Success- for some, success means to reach their goals (ie losing 15 lbs in 6 months). I have learned of another definition of success that I think is even better... making progress. We strive for goals, we may not always reach them, but as long as we are making progress that is a success!
Fulfillment- you have made positive changes in your life for the better. It's positively affecting you and the people around you. You are feeling more in control. You are feeling more fulfilled and you ought to because your awareness, clarity, focus, action, results, momentum, and success over time has led to this new place. A place of fulfillment. It's a great place to be and it can be a new norm for you. That fulfillment leads to happiness.
Happiness- One definition of happiness is a sense of well-being, joy, or contentment... isn't that what many of us want?
If you want to make a change in your life, you need to go on this journey. Find a quiet place, grab a notepad, and write down and reflect on the answers to these questions.
1. How do I feel?
2. Where am I currently?
3. Where do I want to go?
This will give you the Awareness and Clarity to get started on your path to a life of improved health and well-being... and maybe a little happiness if that is what you are after. It's up to you to do this work. Just start with the first 2 steps and you will gain the insight to know what to do.
Good luck and enjoy the journey... it will be worth it!