Want to make changes in your life that last?
Have you made progress toward the goals you’ve set and then get tired of making the effort? Or maybe worse, have you made effort toward your goals and not seen results?! We’ve all been there. Good news is there are simple ways to move forward in your life with changes that stick and get you positive results.
Lead with happiness and set an intention.
If you’ve been reading my blog posts, you might remember I’ve mentioned using these two tenets with my clients. And, I wanted to share a real-life example of how my dear friend and nutritionist extraordinaire Dawn Jackson-Blatner uses these concepts to get results in her life and with her clients daily. In fact, she used them and won ABC’s reality TV show “My Diet Is Better Than Yours!” Below is how Dawn did it (beyond her awesome eating plan SuperFood Swap) and how we can do it, too.
Lead with Happiness
How Dawn Did It
Throughout the competition, Dawn would remind her client Jasmine “if you’re not having fun, you’re not doing something right.” This is why she has her clients learn how to create healthier versions of the foods they love. Wow! Imagine eating meals you love and enjoy while getting in shape.
This approach reminds me of Albert Schweitzer’s quote “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.” Even the research of Shawn Achor (Harvard professor and author of The Happiness Advantage) reveals that people who are happier are usually more successful.
How We Can Do It
Leading with happiness is also the foundation of my coaching process where I work with clients to experience feeling happier and more positive as they strive toward their desired outcomes. This approach allows us to be present in the moment and have access to more creative solutions for our lives. To learn more about how to do this, check out my previous newsletter How To Have It All…With A Lot More Happy!
Or just ask yourself, what is one small thing I can say, do, or think to make my daily life more fun or feel happier?
Set an Intention
How Dawn Did It
After Dawn won the TV show, she shared with us a prayer she said when the show began. It was to have the best message America needs to hear about food and health win the competition. It reminded me of how we can set an intention and detach from the outcome. There is so much power and strength in being clear about what you desire, being open to the results, and trusting it’ll all work out for the best.
How We Can Do It
Research shows that setting an intention allows you to be clear about your desired outcomes with yourself and with others and commit to achieving them. The idea is that if you’re committed to your desires or objectives, you’re more likely to enjoy the journey toward your achievements. And, as we just established, when you have fun and feel good, you’re more likely to attain a better outcome and get closer to the results you want.
The critical piece about Dawn’s request was that she detached from the outcome and just put all of her effort in to living out her plan – – not worrying about the outcome.
Where can you show up more trusting in your life and let go of your grip on the outcome?
Hope you try these simple shifts like sprinkling in more fun and joy in to your daily life and being clear about what you want while letting go of expectations to experience lasting change and real results in your life.
