I have an amazing story to tell you this morning so I’m just going to get right into it.
This really put things into perspective and there’s a valuable takeaway that we all can benefit from.
Maybe you can relate to Michaela’s story …
On Tuesday, I had a call with a young woman named Michaela who has lost 70 pounds over the last 2.5 years!
She accomplished this fully on her own but ran into a couple of issues that I’m all too familiar with …
First, she found herself not being satisfied with surpassing her goal.
She originally wanted to get to 150 lbs and actually got down to 140 but still didn’t like how she looked.
If you know my story, I played that game for a VERY long time.
My original goal was to get below 200. Even when I got down to 160, I still wasn’t satisfied, so I could fully relate to what she was saying.
Second, she found herself in a place of total obsession with food and weight.
She was getting burned out tracking every single morsel of food and trying to be perfect each day.
She was tired of not being able to have a meal out for fear of weight gain.
And, she was constantly monitoring and thinking about her weight because she did not want to back track.
All I could think as she was telling me this was … I remember those days all too well.
At this point in time, she realized that she’s made it very far on her own. But, working through some of these issues was something that would require additional help and support.
Admittedly, the idea of 1:1 coaching scared her.
But, she also was aware of her tendencies and knew how valuable the experience would be.
Here’s where the story really gets powerful …
Are you willing to invest in yourself?
In anticipation of our call, Michaela decided to start cutting other expenses and even sold a horse saddle that she owned so she could be in a position to make a significant investment in herself.
She also knew that her husband is a little more financially conservative and wanted his support before making the decision to invest in coaching.
Rather than telling him about the COST … she told him about the VALUE and how much it would mean to her to be able to overcome her challenges and be more confident in her own skin.
Not only that, but she told her husband that she had already been saving up and sold her horse saddle to make this work.
Now, it’s likely her husband would have been supportive without all of that extra effort but Michaela wasn’t about to leave anything to chance.
This is the difference between people who WANT shit to happen vs. people who MAKE shit happen.
It’s your choice – results or excuses?
But wait … it gets even better …
After our call on Tuesday, Michaela wanted to take a day to discuss everything with her husband before moving forward.
Then, after an eye doctor appointment that night, she found out that she needed glasses and would be getting an unexpected $600 bill.
Let’s be honest … how many people would use that unexpected expense as a reason to not invest in themselves?
I know the answer. The answer is way too many people.
And, that’s because our brains don’t like change. It’s uncomfortable and scary. So, when we’re given an opportunity to stay comfortable and stuck … we usually take it.
But Michaela had made a commitment to herself and the fact that she expressed the VALUE to her husband, he responded with this …
“This is something that will benefit you for the rest of your life. You need to do this.”
And oh, by the way, her husband is also starting to pay more attention to his health since Michaela is leading by example.
I paired Michaela up with April because she specializes in the exact struggles that Michaela is experiencing.
I can’t wait to update you on her progress in a few months.
We often feed ourselves lies
But look … the reason I share this story is because too often, we tell ourselves these lies …
I can’t afford it. It’s not in my budget. It’s not the right time.
That perspective is keeping you stuck.
The reality is you’re not prioritizing it.
There are other expenses in your life that you could cut. There are ways to make it work in your budget and there are ways to get resourceful, like selling something you own but don’t use.
Try changing the language you use. Instead of saying “it’s not in the budget,” try saying, “I’m not willing to make it fit my budget.”
Words matter.
Do you focus on the COST or the VALUE?
I’m not naive enough to believe that every single person can afford coaching.
But, I know enough and have seen enough to know that very few people actually get resourceful to MAKE it work.
Very few actually look at the VALUE and the return on investment that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
Unfortunately, it’s the way we are wired.
We’d rather believe our excuses because staying the same is comfortable.
We can verbalize our desire for change. We can openly state how unhappy we are with our bodies, our relationship with food, and the way our clothes fit …
But, it’s the actions that tell the real story.
We can all learn a valuable lesson from Michaela.
Invest in yourself and watch change happen
We only accept 12 new clients each month and she was not going to miss out on that opportunity. And, she’ll be rewarded for it many times over.
I know this may be a tough pill to swallow but if you can really let this message sink in … you’ll be better for it.
Much love,
MM
PS – This same logic applies to all decisions you make. You didn’t NEED a drink. You CHOSE to drink. You didn’t NEED to stress eat. You CHOSE to stress eat.
That doesn’t make you a bad person and I’m absolutely not judging any decision you make. But, trust me when I say that the way you speak to yourself can make all the difference in the world.
Take a position of control and ownership, invest in yourself, and watch your world change!
