HEALTHY IS WELLNESS
Healthy is Wellness Health Coach: Becky Ketterling, Certified Personal Trainer
THE Power OF 1% Meet Chris Nikic! This 21-year-old man made history as the first person with Down’s Syndrome to ever complete an Ironman triathlon! He trained for over a year wearing a shirt emblazoned with the words ‘1% Better.’ Chris embraced Becky Ketterling Certified Personal Trainer, the idea that improving just a Health Coach small amount each and every Healthy Is Wellness, Inc. day would help him reach his goal. In November of last year, he conquered a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride, and finished with a 26.2-mile marathon, completing the grueling Ironman in under 17 hours. Look what a difference thinking in terms of just ‘1% Better’ can make! What if we all approached life with this simple but powerful perspective? Start with your goals. Training ourselves to embrace the 1% mindset may first involve re-thinking our goals. Most of us have something we really want to accomplish but we just can’t seem to get started. Take weight loss as an example. Wanting to lose 50 pounds, or even 20, can seem like an impossible task, and maybe that’s because the goal is just too big. But what if we looked deeper into WHY we want to lose weight? Maybe it’s the simple desire to play with our grandkids or to take a walk with our spouse or a friend. When our goals are more specific and meaningful, it allows us to measure success in a way that doesn’t focus on a single number on a scale. So pick one of your goals and try to see it in a new way – look for the WHY behind your goal and appreciate the power of 1% progress. Banish ‘all-or-nothing’ thinking! Setting overly difficult goals and measuring our success in all-or-nothing terms often leads to a feeling of failure. In fact, past experiences with this negative cycle can stop us from
doing anything at all. Embracing the power of 1% means that we only need to make small changes to enjoy a feeling of success! And this success is addictive: positive reinforcement helps us feel capable of continuing to be 1% better the next day and the next. Over time, layering our small successes builds powerful (and long-lasting) outcomes!
SET THINGS IN MOTION. So now that we
know that a 1% mindset allows us to achieve and enjoy success each and every day, here are some ideas to get you started:
1% KINDER: Be the bright spot in one person’s day. The simple act of smiling at someone stimulates a part of the brain that makes them feel rewarded, and even loved. 1% HEALTHIER: Eat a few more bites of vegetables or protein. Or practice ‘exercise snacking’ – move for just a few minutes more than you normally would. 1% CALMER: Begin your morning in a calm way
that helps to level out the highs and lows of your day. Take a little time to breathe, think positive thoughts, and stretch your body.
1% HAPPIER: Watch for ‘micro-moments’ of
happiness, or tiny moments of good. They happen all the time! We just have to recognize when they occur and take time to absorb them.
If we change our minds, we can change our outcomes! So be kind to yourself, celebrate small wins, and watch the layers of 1% add up to amazing results. In the words of motivational speaker and author Tony Robbins: “No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn't trying.” www.allianceyc.org // Adult Resource Alliance
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