What’s Your Why?

This is the single most important question you need to be able to answer for yourself to make any true changes. What is Your Why? Why do you want to be healthy? Determining your true motivation for why you want to be healthy adds feeling and emotion to your goal, making it easier to achieve.

Contrary to popular thought, there’s no one way to achieve health. While every expert has an opinion and every internet search tells us something new, the perfect recipe for health cannot be defined. There are too many variables that make each person’s life unique. The first step to determining what will work for you is to determine why you want to be healthy in the first place! What’s your intention behind losing those 10 lbs. or having more energy or building more muscle or having a better relationship with your partner?

All that time spent in a bathing suit at the beach in summer reminds us why it’s important to enjoy a healthy diet. But the truth is, too often we focus on looks or external factors as the sole reason to eat healthy. Looking great is just the proverbial icing on the cake.

What’s your why for creating a healthy life? Determining your true motivation for why you want to be healthy adds feeling and emotion to your goal, making it easier to achieve. Most people are not motivated my numbers on a scale, but they can picture themselves having more energy for their kids or waking up in the morning feeling energized rather than tired or feeling attractive to their spouse.

Of course, there are many reasons tied to the increase of disease that could lead you to want to be healthy, such as:

• Lower risk of developing heart disease, the number one killer of women
• Lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes
• Lower risk of developing high blood pressure
• Lower risk of having a stroke
• Lower risk of having a heart attack
• Lower risk of developing certain types of cancer
• Lower risk of an untimely death

However, health is not just the absence of disease. Disease is simply a lack of ease in the body. Dis-ease. Lack of ease becomes disease. Many things can cause dis-ease and there’s never been a better time than now to be healthy in all areas of our lives. Here are just a few very important reasons to be healthy:

• Increased energy to do what you love
• A sense of balance and awareness with your life
• Ability to choose what you eat, instead of being controlled by cravings
• Feeling more comfortable in your own skin
• Serving as an example to others
• Living longer and with more joy
• Lower risk of disease

Here are a few items off my personal WHY BE HEALTHY list:

• I want to age beautifully and be as active as I age as I am now
• Continue to have balance in mind, body, and spirit
• Keep a healthy, natural weight
• Keep my organs and internal ecosystem happy
• Prevent chronic illness
• To live my vision and purpose every day of my life
• To be truly ALIVE, not just survive
• To serve as an example to my kids and those around me

Start with determining your own Why is an important Mindset technique that will support you with your health. Write a list, keep it with you, review it often and let it guide you. Let your Why List serve as the foundation to help you reach your goals and live an empowered life.