Sometimes all it takes is a decision. 

The power of the mind is so impressive, which I know feels like a very overused statement. But it is true. 

And you can see examples of this in “the placebo effect”, which is a medical phenomenon that doesn’t get enough attention. 

Let’s think about it for a second. 

It’s something that has to be controlled in scientific research because it is known to skew data. Once people are aware that they are or aren’t being administered a particular intervention, keyword aware, that awareness (the mind) is often enough to actually change the outcome. 

And aside from some instances where the outcome is subjective, this literally is a real life example of the power of the mind. 

And this is largely unexplained! Or at least there is a lot more to discover about it. 

What you need to know is that you can harness your mind to achieve the unachievable. 

And an easy way to start this is with your words and your thoughts. 

WORDS AND THOUGHTS

When I take people through my signature quitting sugar process, one of the key elements we start with is speaking and thinking with intent.

Many people enter the program saying things like this:

• I have no willpower
• I just love sweets too much 
• I can never change 
• I can never say no 
• I can’t resist
• I don’t have enough money, not enough time, not enough whatever 
• I’m just not the kind of person that can *insert desired behaviour here*

You see this totally becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. 

Your words create your reality. 

So let’s start to claw back autonomy over your own life. 

And we can start this process by intentional speaking. By this I mean creating your deserved life by speaking it into existence. 

My dad always told me “whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right”.

And that just says it all doesn’t it. 

Next, decide and affirm.

DECISIONS AND AFFIRMATIONS

I remember my uni days – we would be out to all hours of the morning, freezing cold in mini skirts, sustaining on an evening meal of cheap wine and vodka with sugar-free cranberry (smh!!). 

Naturally we (and by we I mean myself and my eight flatmates) would come home starving, craving salty cheesy food which was normally 3am cheese toasties, one dollar pizza or Velvet burger (which was our local joint). 

It only took a few of these instances to notice how shitty you felt in the morning when you had eaten a burger at 3am. The hangover was enough of a rough ride, we didn’t need to add in fried food.  

Any of you that have been through a uni phase like this will know “drunk eating” and that it starts to become almost a social event in itself, a chance to be naughty and enjoy debrief time with your friends before you inevitably conk out.  

I remember one day just deciding “I don’t eat late night shitty food”. And from that point on, I never did it again. Not once. 

I wouldn’t call it willpower, I really can only put it down to making that decision and having the self worth to listen to what my higher self needed. And committing to not squash myself into the lower version of me. 

I decided at that moment that “I don’t do that and it’s not me”. And I affirmed it to myself. I didn’t walk around thinking “I’ll never be able to do this”. 

This is an example of how you can change habits and circumvent negative routines. 

After deciding and affirming, the secret key is embodying it and believing it. Without this, lasting change cannot occur. 

When your behaviour is not congruent with your internal self belief, it will never last.

DEEPER SH*T 

There is a lot more to this.

While doing this can get you very far, there is no denying that there are some deep limiting beliefs within you, that generally come from seemingly isolated events like childhood traumas, that can prevent the ability to harness this mind power and affirmation. 

That is a whole other topic in itself. 

But for now, start with your words, decisions and affirmations. This will get the ball rolling and fix what is there to be worked on. 

PUT IT INTO PRACTICE

Where can you change your self narrative? 

If you need a fire starter, start with any of your behaviours that you desire to change, but don’t seem to actually be able to. 

Notice times when you look at other people and wish you could do what they do or be like them. These are a good indicator of the self limits you may be placing on yourself. 

And remember, you are worthy of a happy healthy life, and you are worthy of living life to your true potential.