Do you really want to change or do you just say you do? And if you do, what kind of change are you looking to make?

If you want uneventful change, like losing 15 lbs. before Christmas, good news, your chance of success is pretty darn good. Stop by the grocery store and grab the latest “health” magazine for ideas on how to shed lbs. quickly, without any work at all. Heck! If I have Dr. Oz’s math right, losing 10 lbs. at the rate of every 5 days, you could lose 100 lbs. before you sit down for that big holiday feast.

Dr. Oz selling lies

Or better yet, have a talk with a supplement salesperson, (cleverly disguised as a “health coach”), and they will gladly sell you some magic shake that is sure to make you skinny just in time for your upcoming holiday parties!  There are plenty of options out there for those of you who say you want to change but really don’t. I’m NOT your gal and this article probably isn’t going to resonate with you.

I talk truth. I’m only interested in helping people who want to create lasting change.

Those of you who see life passing by much too quickly and realize things aren’t exactly as you imagined. You don’t feel confident in your body. You’re overly fat and feel held back from doing all the things you love to do. Or maybe you are comfortable with your body but wake each day and feel worn out and tired, even though you slept for 9 hours. You have achy joints, or rely on over the counter medications like ibuprofen or anti-acids every day. Because, after all, this is just part of getting older, right? Maybe you are filling voids in your life with destructive behaviors like over-eating, drinking too much, allowing conflict and gossip to run amuck in your daily life or over-all feel a lack of purpose.

You are the people I’m talking to; people looking to make transformative change. Powerful, life-altering change you can’t keep to yourself and want to pass along to all of your friends and family. The kind of change that gets you out of bed every morning. You are stepping away from the crowd and conventional thinking. You’re ready to look and feel the best you ever have and live out the next half of your life better than the first!  Now, THIS is what I’m talking about!

Transformative change requires a shift in mindset and it requires patience. While you may be able to change the way you eat or move in an instant, you cannot change the way you think overnight. This is where most of you get hung up. You want a better life, a better body, better health or more happiness but you never seem to make it happen. Chances are, you are trying to change too much too soon.

Doodle by Evie Fatz: Changing too much too soon(inspired by Precision Nutrition)

When you try to overhaul your entire life, you are unconsciously setting yourself up for failure.

Changing the way you eat, sleep and exercise all at once may seem like the fastest way to get results but it isn’t quite that easy. When you try to overhaul your entire life, you end up overwhelmed. This only layers on the sense of failure you have experienced in the past and once again, you fall back into old habits. You cannot change your mindset in an instant and if your mind is going to support the actions you are taking, it has to be done slowly.

Instead of turning your life upside down, you take on one new challenge at a time. You work on developing new habits and behaviors around this one portion of your life until it no longer challenges you. Then, and only then, do you move onto the next task.

The measure of transformative change is when what once seemed difficult becomes easy.

Think about areas of your life you have achieved a great deal of success. What did it take to get you there? I am confident the process took time. You can probably look back now and laugh at what used to seem impossible which you now do unconsciously. In your career or maybe in parenting. Tasks that at one time felt insurmountable, you now tackle with ease. This is exactly what transformative change looks like in every aspect of life.

While transformation takes time, it isn’t complicated.

Set yourself up for success. Choose one area of your life that needs the most attention and get to work. Stop feeding disease and EAT better. Give your body a chance to recover and sleep better. Stop taking years off your life and MOVE more. Create authentic relationships and be a better friend. Be a better partner. Feed your kids real food and be a better parent. Travel more often. Learn something new. Get outside your comfort zone.

Whatever it is, focus on it until it becomes easy.

And don’t wait! Life isn’t on pause. How much time do you think you have left?

Are you going to talk about it or are you going to do something about it?