When it comes to achieving better health, there always seems to be something missing in order to get there.
We often look for quick answers, fast track solutions, insta-fixes, insta-results, and we are often disappointed. This disease that we’ve developed as a culture of instant gratification has poisoned our ability to take proper care of ourselves. To be accountable for better health. To do what is necessary.
Most of us don’t realize that to make radical and lasting changes to better health, you actually have to look inwards and dig deep.
In this article you’ll find, in great detail, why Responsibility, Integrity and Consistency are the three core principles for better health.
3 Core Principles to Better Health
#1 RESPONSIBILITY
So what does it mean to you to be 100% responsible? Responsible for your actions. Responsible for your work. Responsible for your family, your children?
Responsibility is undervalued and never fully understood when it comes to better health. Responsibility is defined as the duty to deal with something or having control over something. The key word here is DUTY. It is our DUTY to deal with something or have control over something.
Taking responsibility for our life… our actions… and everything that happens, or has happened in our life is not always so easy. It is often easier to blame the man behind the curtain than it is to take 100% responsibility.
Everything that has happened in life is a result of something that we do, something we say, a place that we went to or a decision that we make.
It is our responsibility to accept what is in our control and more importantly accept the results, or lack thereof, that comes from them. In other words, consequences. We often turn a blind eye to the consequences of our actions and do not use that VITAL information to learn, grow and improve our situation.
“It is always easier to blame something or someone
on why it didn’t work out the way we wanted it to…
or the way it was supposed to”
Taking 100% responsibility for everything in your life will allow you to accept and let go of blame.
Instead of resisting and fighting, try simply letting go and accepting responsibility. Let go of blame and stop looking towards the outside, and start looking from the inside. What DO you have control over?
The reality is, we are always in control. That’s what 100% responsibility is. The control over something. We, ourselves, are also that something. We have control over our life, our actions and our decisions.
So if you have not achieved the health results you want, then it is solely your responsibility.
If you are thinking to yourself, “Well that’s great but I don’t know what to do about it!”. Then listen closely.
We are not talking about WHAT to do, because all that information is available to you on the internet on a moments search. With a sea (The internet) filled with click-bait, fake news and advertising pop-ups to distract and confuse you, it can be often challenging to find the RIGHT information. This is not what we are referring to.
We’re talking about responsibility to your health. If you take 100% responsibility for your health, YOU WILL FIND THE RIGHT INFORMATION. It may even find you!
So what it will take for you to be 100% responsible for better health?
#2 INTEGRITY
What does it mean to you to have integrity?
Integrity is a quality that is desired in a workplace. It is something that is desired by your friends and family.
Integrity is another core value in any company, the quality of being honest and keeping your word. This is very helpful in the work environment, with building relationships and maintain relationships. Being honest with people is desirable and required in order to connect and bond.
But we are actually talking about something a little different. What about self-integrity? Are we honest with ourselves? Do we keep our own word?
Or do you feel like you are in a state of terrible neglect and lack integrity for your personal health?
Here’s an example.
If you arranged with a friend to meet them at 8am in the morning to go for a bike ride, your friend would expect you to be there. If you didn’t show up, they would be disappointed or they’d feel let down.
As a result, it would likely alter your relationship to some degree. If you did it again, and again over the span of time. How do you think your relationship with your friend will end up? They probably wouldn’t want to depend on you anymore, right?
Therefore, what do we do? You show up. You don’t want to let them down. We want to be in integrity and keep our word, so we show up at 8 AM and go for a bike ride.
Okay… so now…. using that same example but instead of your friend, it’s between YOU and YOURSELF.
So you tell yourself that you will show up at 8am to go for a run. The part of you is going to expect you to be there. So what happens if you don’t show up. Who becomes disappointed or let down? How does it affect the relationship between you and yourself? What happens if you do it again… and again… and again…
If this behavior continues, by saying you are going to do something and not doing it, you will be consistently letting yourself down.
So, what do we do?
It’s very simple.
“If you say you are going to do something…
do it.”
If you are not going to do it, then don’t say you’re going to. Be honest with yourself.
By saying you’re going to do it and not doing it, you are damaging that part of your psyche, and reinforcing poor behaviors in yourself; you’re damaging the relationship with yourself, and letting yourself down.
“So, if you say you are going to do something, do it.”
#3 Consistency
What does being consistent mean to you?
Does it mean, being on 100% of all the time? Does it mean maintaining a regular flow? Does it mean no room for error?
Consistency is being compliant with the application of something new. Following a flow. Doing it steadily over time. It doesn’t mean perfection. It doesn’t mean 100% of the time.
Here’s an example:
Exercising or eating properly consistently involves doing it regularly over time. Therefore, when there are slip ups or small gaps, being consistent means jumping back on the wagon as SOON as possible and not stopping. Because stopping is the opposite of consistency.
Stopping is the dynamite to forming new habits. If you miss a day or two or three, you can get back on track. However, if you wait too long, and miss 5 days, a week, two weeks, then the feeling of resuming no longer exists and it is replaced with the feeling of starting over. And it can very difficult to start over.
Therefore, by being consistent, you avoid self-sabotage, you are maintaining integrity to yourself, and you are taking responsibility for your results.
That’s what it’s all about. These 3 ingredients. If you’re consistent, you are in integrity to yourself and you take 100% responsibility for your actions, or lack thereof, then you will be ready to get the results you desire.