How to find the time for PLAY (exercise) when you think you can’t!

Tip No. 6: Know your why!

Have you ever been in the presence of a two-year-old who has an unfathomable sense of wonder and repeatedly asks “why” about the simplest things in life?

And until you help break down the more significant concepts of life, like “why is the sky blue?” into the simplest form, they are never satisfied with the answer.

So you make it simple, and then they get it.

The same thought process applies when I help clients who feel stuck with their health because they want to get unstuck as they attempt a new goal.

Often people set a big goal that feels easy at first, but it gets harder and harder to stay focused or even get there.

It’s not fun to feel discouraged when trying so hard to do the right thing. Until you see the “why” behind making a significant change, you may continue to spin your wheels unnecessarily.

One of the best thought-leaders in knowing your “why” is multiple best-selling author Simon Sinek. His TED Talk entitled “Start With Why” has had nearly 57 million views!

As Sinek says, “Those who know WHAT they do, tend to work harder. Those who know WHY tend to work smarter.”

It’s not only for work, but it’s also applicable for all areas of life, including your health.

Significant changes in your exercise, nutrition, or stress management habits are more likely to happen with smart, simple, consistent daily actions – and understanding why you want to make the change in the first place.

After all, it’s better to help someone find a daily action on a small goal than doing nothing on a big one.

Here’s your chance to sort through your motivation, which often will uncover something more profound.

One tool I use is called The 5 Whys. In the 1930s, industrialist, inventor, and founder of Toyota Corporation, Sakichi Toyota, came up with this method to solve problems.

This methodology is still used today in the company and became mainstream in the 1970s.

It is a way to help individuals and organizations troubleshoot, problem solve and prevent problems from occurring.

By asking yourself ” why ” five times, you can examine why you do something, using both Sinek’s & Toyota’s inspiration and from your own hands-on experience.

Knowing WHY you want to get fit, for example, will help to shape your path to success.

The Five Whys is a simple process of drilling down to the root of the problem and revealing the underlying cause. Once we get to the heart of the problem, we are much more likely to start to fix it.

Here’s an example of how you can do this too:

Define the problem: I want to play more/be more active.

1. WHY (do you want to play more)? –> It will allow me to have more energy and even live a little longer.
2. WHY (do you want to have more energy)? –> Because I’m often too tired to do the things I love.
3. WHY (do you feel tired)? –> Because I don’t get enough sleep.
4. WHY (don’t you get enough sleep)? –>Because my dog sleeps with me and snores so I can’t get the right amount of sleep I need.
5. WHY (do you let your dog sleep with you)? –> Good question! THERE IS THE ROOT OF YOUR PROBLEM!

What steps will you take to change this habit, to improve your sleep and ultimately have more energy?

Download your own Assessment Tool to get to know your WHY

With a stubborn problem like not moving enough, this is a simple process of drilling down the root of the problem and revealing the underlying cause so that you can deal with it forever. Once we get to the source of the problem, we are much more likely to start to fix it.

So, what’s your WHY?

Play on!

xox Coach Jan

P.S. Are you ready to start making positive changes to your health and even discover your “why”? Let’s talk! Click HERE to book a free discovery call, or email me at info@janetomstead.com.

I look forward to hearing from you!