“Whether you think you can, or your can’t, either way you are right.” Henry Ford
What we believe plays a powerful role in shaping our reality. In coaching, I often talk with my clients about a fixed or growth mindset. A fixed mindset is one where you believe your basic abilities, our intelligence and talents are just fixed traits. What you are given is essentially what you have to work with. In these scenarios your locus of control (explain?) is outside of yourself. It rests with things outside of your control.
Whereas a growth mindset is one where your talents and abilities can be developed. You can grow and adapt. Skills can be learned and mastered, challenges can be overcome. In these cases, your locus of control resides within yourself.
These are in fact beliefs. Which mindset is more empowering and which is limiting? Which mindset invites more possibility into your life? Can you see how these shape not only your life but your work? I won’t work with clients in a fixed mindset, simply because the reality is that I can’t help them, if they are unwilling to help themselves.
Our Beliefs Impact Everything
What we believe can impact things like wellness or illness, or even our longevity. Do you believe you are more prone to a condition, that its inevitable that you will get it because someone in your family did? Or do you believe that you have a say in your health and that if you take certain steps you will stay healthy. Do you opt out of the possibility of illness and opt-in to health and wellbeing?
Or longevity, how long do you think you will live? Again, is that set by genetics and family members? Or is that based on lifestyle choices you control.
How you handle change, even your satisfaction and trust in our relationships, whether you think you can, or you can’t – they are all driven by your beliefs. Your beliefs even shape how you lead. In essence your beliefs shape every aspect of your work and life Consider what beliefs may be at play. Are they valid, or they perhaps outdated? In particular focus on beliefs you have about wellness.
Examine Your Wellness Beliefs
Start with whether you see a fixed or growth mindset at play in your life? Some of our beliefs depends on what sort of world you think this is. You see the world as inherently good or a dangerous place?
According to Gallup’s 2019 Global State of Emotions Report, people across the world are more frightened, angry and sad than ever. One third of the world’s planet is stressed, worried, and in pain. And this was before a global pandemic and the hardships of 2020!
These beliefs shape how you view and approach problems, solutions and even what you deem to be possible.
As we look to a new year here are three actions to take.
1 ) Start with where you are
The systems shaping how we live and work are all too often designed for unwellness rather than vitality. In addition, gaps in how we sleep, eat, hydrate and move contribute to lifestyle illnesses such as Type-2 diabetes and heart disease. The thing about lifestyle illnesses is that they are preventable. In addition, these gaps can lead to mental health challenges, such as depression, anxiety, and burnout at work and at home.
To make changes you need to assess with where you are. Inventory your life in a holistic way. I often talk about wellness as having multiple dimensions – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual as the primary dimensions. But other dimensions, in particular our lifestyle also affect our wellness – financial, social, career and educational goals, etc.
You want to assess at this phase of your life, which aspects are you focused on and paying attention to? Which areas could use more attention?
For a free worksheet I use with all my clients to inventory their lifestyle, click here.
2) You are unique
You are more than just your genetics, your circumstances, or your latest health screening. Too often I think sometimes we focus on biometrics. But we need to remember, health is only one aspect. Wellness is in fact much broader and as such accounts for more inputs.
At a cellular level, you are in a process of change and renewal at every moment. Growing research in the field of epigenetics and neuroplasticity show us our attitudes, thoughts and beliefs and lifestyle choices all affect us. You play a role in preventing and even in some cases reversing disease, as well as promoting healing, and wellbeing.
What works for one person may not work for someone else due to bio-individuality. Your unique set of beliefs, preferences, interests, genes, habits all need to be considered when finding what will for best you on the path to more well-being. As such, it’s about tapping into what will work best for YOU, not your best friend or a family member.
3) Make your own personal wellness moonshot
Create an aspirational wellness moonshot for yourself personally. An inspiring vision that matters to you. This could be a moonshot to avoid preventable lifestyle diseases, or to focus on a cause that perhaps affected you or a loved one.
How does this guide your decisions and actions going forward? Are they in line with your personal moonshot or not?
It can be eye-opening to see that day-to-day we are not living aligned to our bigger goals. How we live and work are too often designed for unwellness rather vitality. Simply aligning more of your day-to-day actions can create positive momentum in your life.
Share your personal wellness moonshot in the Facebook Group. If you want more guidance in helping to develop your own personal moonshot, click here.
Summary
Beliefs play a powerful role in shaping how we view the world. As wellness leader, your thoughts and beliefs affect not just you, but those around you. This month its worth considering your beliefs as they relate to wellness and see how you can better align your beliefs with your wellness goals.
What does your 2021 wellness journey look like? To see how I can help support you on that journey, please click here.
Note:
I am an Ambassador for the Global Wellness Insititute. This monthly topic is based on their wellness moonshot. A world free of preventable diseases.
Please note, this blog is no substitute for medical advice as a I am not a doctor. Please be sure to seek medical advice if necessary when developing your own wellness plans.
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