Public victory
To continue on with the fantastic changes you have made using this program it is vital to create a support network of those friends and family within your life that you have close relationships with. Food pressure is always evoked emotionally or socially. By committing to those who are around you most often you will go a long way to setting yourself up for success.
When you tell people of the changes you have made and the outcome that you are achieving it becomes real. Your brain hears you saying these comments as if they are fact and your heart compels you to make it so. The more you can share your story of success – what got you to this point and where you are going, the more concrete it becomes and the higher your chances are of achieving it.
As you share your story you will also invite your friend or family member to support you. For example: “In September this year I am going to fit into my size 42 jeans. Your support is so important to my success. Would you help me? I would find it really helpful if you did not to offer me biscuits after dinner. If they are not offered to me I really don’t feel like them”.
By sharing your goals and your plan of how you will get there you also create accountability. It is accountability that really drives you to achieve your goals. Without accountability the road to success can often be a long and lonely journey and once you reach your destination there is no one to celebrate with that truly understands what you have overcome along the way.
To complete this stage it is important to have created a safe private environment, limiting situations where it could be possible to slip back into past habits. Based upon this foundation now take the next step to breaking down old habits and building new ones by preparing in advance for upcoming challenges.
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Write down the public locations that are the hardest to control your food choices and habits
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Write down the habit that is hardest to overcome
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Write in people’s names that are associated with this choice
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Tick off when you have enrolled at least one of the people on the list about the habit you would like to change
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Create a strategy that can help you improve in future
