Reading time : 12 MINUTES

 

There is a bit more than 5 months left in this year.

 

Time moves forward, and you are still the same person as the one who started this year.

 

Same habits

Same physique

Same boring job

Same money problems

Same conversations with the same old friends

 

Although you are trying to avoid sitting with the frustration that comes with that realization, you know that you can, want and deserve better.

 

And that you would be really upset if you wasted the 5 last month of this year again.

 

No clarity + connection = no success

 

I‘ve spent most of my life working in the fitness industry.

 

Out of 100% of the people who I met, observed, had conversations or worked with

99% of them started their journey with the wrong approach:

 

• Go all in for the first 3-4 weeks
• Quit to fall back into old habits after a month (or less).
• Start again with the same approach on January first, just before the summer arrives.

 

Some people remain stuck in this cycle for years and then blame their poor level of health on their genetics, lack of time or the stress of life.

 

This approach fails every time for two main reasons :

 

1) Lack of clarity

 

Most people don’t spend much time sitting with what they want, because it would require us to be fully honest with ourselves.

 

The quality of your life is directly related to the choices you make. Making a choice means saying YES to something and saying NO to everything else.

 

The people who say YES to their desire to achieve a better physique are not willing to say NO to anything that won’t get them a better physique.

 

They still want to skip their workout when they don‘t feel like it.

They still want to order take-outs and eat fast food every week.

They still want to consume alcohol and get drunk on the weekend.

They‘re still hooked on 5 coffees a day because they neglect their sleep.

 

The lack of clarity you have around your goal invites anxiety and avoidance to settle into your actions. Which then makes your actions so inconsistent that your goal will never be met.

 

2) Lack of connection

 

Most people don‘t have a relationship with their body.

 

They have no idea what kind of food their body needs to perform well throughout the day, how their circadian rhythm works, what needs their body has other than food, water and sleep.

 

We live in such a disconnected state from our body that we can‘t spot the early signs of exhaustion, burn-out or disease, so we keep pushing our body until it breaks.

 

And then we get upset and impatient, turn towards some kind of tablets to mask the pain our body is in and go back to our coffees, our stressful job and our 5 hours nights of sleep.

 

The motivation behind this aesthetic pursuit fades away very quickly because their goal lacks depth, purpose and meaning.

 

This approach only focuses on how our body looks to then mould our physical appearance into standards that are usually unrealistic (like the ones you find on Instagram) instead of shifting our focus on how your body feels and then living a life built around the well-being and happiness of your body.

 

Now that we have identified the main reasons why your diet attempts, new year resolutions and fitness goals have failed, let’s dive into the right approach to finally get you to achieve a level of health and a physique you have never achieved before.

 

Step One - The vision.

 

It’s time to be honest with yourself.

 

Detatch from people’s judgment and expectations. No one is watching you so let’s be real here.

 

I need you to be willing to be vulnerable about where you are currently at when it comes to your health and how you feel in your body.

 

I’ve prepared a template on Notion that you can use to become crystal clear about your current health state. Together, we will go over the different habits you have and the positive or negative impact they have on your body.

 

This template is a part of the Effortless Health course that is coming out next month. It’s currently my Modern Movement Mobility course that is already available to be purchased at a very low price. If you do get this program now, you will have access to all my systems and the whole course that will drop in a couple of weeks at a higher price.

 

You won’t be like the 99% of people who start and fail because we are becoming very clear about where you are at and what you want, by identifying exactly what you don’t want.

 

You don’t have to keep hating your body.

You don’t want to be constantly stressed and tired.

You don’t want to keep living in a body that is stiff and in pain.

You don’t want to start another diet and give up again in two weeks.

You don’t want to waste time being lost and anxious when it comes to what to do with your health.

 

Once we gain clarity about what you want, you will start to filter all of your decisions and actions through your goal. If they don’t align with your goal and the healthy person you are becoming, you can detach from that decision and choose the option that supports your goal.

 

The real change happens when you change and get to the place where you don’t require any motivation or willpower to make decisions that make the new person you have become.

 

Step two - The connection.

 

A body that looks good on the outside but is in constant pain and unhappy is not health.

 

The moment we shift our focus from wanting to look good to striving to feel good, we make the well-being of our body our main priority.

 

Our goal here is to create, nurture and build a deep relationship with our body that is based on communication and trust (which is also the foundation for any healthy relationship, can you see where we are going with this?;) )

 

Your body has never stopped communicating with you.

 

Every day your body sends you messages about how it feels, what it needs and what it likes and doesn’t like.

 

Most of us are just not attuned to listening to our bodies and then take decisions that are in our body’s best interest.

 

Go back to the notion template I’ve prepared for you and fill in the queues, feedback and information your body is sending you on a daily basis (under Intentional Routine).

 

Use them as data to gain clarity about how your body reacts to certain foods, different sleep schedules or even exercises you practice in your sport.

 

Then implement the following habits to teach your body that you are finally open and ready to build a deep relationship with yourself.

 

1. Morning check-in

 

This will literally only require 1 to 2 minutes when you wake up.

 

Take the time to stretch your body out and run a quick scan from head to toes to check-in with how your body feels.

 

Did you wake up with some lower back pain or tension in your neck?

 

Did you wake up well-rested and fit or heavy and tired?

 

2. Never skip breakfast again

 

Fueling your body in the morning is a must.

 

Making it a constant habit your body can rely on is also a necessity.

 

Don’t make it complicated or fancy, choose natural and simple ingredients that you enjoy and can eat every morning.

 

3. Conscious eating

 

To attune to your body, you have to be present.

 

Yet most of us spend our meals staring at a screen, mechanically swallowing food and being ignorant to how that food impacts our body.

 

Being open to receiving feedback from your body about a meal or particular food you are consuming is crucial because it teaches you what you should continue to eat and what you shouldn’t put in your body again.

 

During your week, choose two or three meals where you sit and eat your food without any distractions.

 

Fully open yourself up to this eating experience.

 

To the taste of the food.

 

To the consistency of the food.

 

To your physical sensations and the feeling you are left with after consuming your meal.

 

Then, report this back in your notion template.

 

4. Self-love walk

 

Starting tomorrow (17.06.24), I am launching a 7-day challenge where I am inviting you to join me on a daily 10-minute walk (or more) with the intention to take the time to be fully present with your body.

 

Through the steps you are taking, how your body feels whilst it’s moving, and the sensation of the sun or the wind on your skin.

 

It’s also a special time dedicated to our body and an invitation to welcome any message our body has for us.

 

During the walk, you might find out that you are very tired and need some rest.

 

Or maybe a hug from someone you love because your need for touch has not been met lately.

 

Once you get the message from your body, you need to make sure that you actively meet that need.

 

With time, this will teach your body that it can trust you to act in its best interest and reward you with wanting to keep doing and exploring life with you as your most loyal companion.

 

If you wish to participate to this 7-Day challenge, feel free to follow me on Instagram and share your daily walking experience with me!

 

5. Be patient

 

You wouldn’t expect someone you just met to deeply trust you and act in your best interest. It’s the same thing for your body.

 

You’ve probably spent your whole life disconnected from your body, not being able to meet its deepest needs and pushing it to limits it had no choice but to accept.

 

Therefore, your body is used to being at the mercy of what you decide to do with it. It will need a while to start to trust you and to want to work with you instead of for you.

 

What usually happens is that it will lead you towards a period of more rest and quiet times because of how exhausted it has been for so long.

 

Try to respect that need and trust that it wants to come back very soon with more power, energy, love and excitement than ever before.

 

By learning to master your health, you are building the foundation to access a life where anything is possible.

 

A life where you got your body’s back and your body got yours.

 

Which, in my opinion, is the most beautiful act of self-love you can start with.

 

I will see you in next week’s letter,

 

Until then,

 

Take care.

 

Oli.