Ask yourself this question..."What's stopping you from being your best, healthiest, fittest self?" Is your answer fear of failure, loss of control or not knowing how to do everything correctly? Can it be that you are a perfectionist and you don't want to start something you are not confident you can be 100 percent successful? Maybe it is time to think differently.

I heard this quote from a client of mine today, "Don't let perfect get in the way of better". That quote spoke volumes to me. Each week I come in contact with people that are over achievers in their business life, family life and social life, but lead a physical life that is  unfit and unhealthy. They struggle with their weight, high blood pressure, stress and there is not much thought to what and how they are eating. Its not that these people aren't capable of learning the rules of the road to health & fitness, but that they don't want to engage in something that they can't get the A+, the 100%, the Blue Ribbon or whatever that they perceive to be "perfection". When it comes to health, wellness & fitness the journey is not about perfection, but simply about being better. Better at the journey that doesn't necessarily have a finish line, as it is more of a way of life. And life, simply isn't perfect for anyone, but it can be better! So don't let those "perfection" ideas get in your way of being better. Think differently.

The second thing I learned about this week was how control plays a role in holding you back. Sometimes it is fear of losing control that keeps someone from being their "healthiest, fitness, best self".
This quote is from Dr. Jade Teta: "Control is a symptom of fear and  insecurity. It can push goals further away making change harder not easier to  achieve. The idea that we "know better" can lead to blindness by ignorance. A  better approach is to put aside control and become the student not the teacher.  Don't force or try to control change, but instead immerse yourself in the  process learning as you go." 
As a fitness professional, I see this in my clients, but I can also see this in myself. I truly  relate to this as I like being in control...but I also know that because of that, there have been times when I didn't grow physically, emotionally or spiritually because I thought "I knew better". Sometimes, I need to "Think Differently".

So as I ask you "What's stopping you?...Think Differently", I will do also. I will begin to let go of fear of not being "perfect"  and try to live my life to be "better". And as for control, I will embrace the positive changes that can happen through the learning process as I set aside control.