Connecting Financial Success and Fitness

Connecting Financial Success and Fitness

By Nicole Irlbeck

Many of us desire to have a healthy and attractive body and a financially rewarding career.  So what sets those who succeed apart from those who don’t?  More than 90 percent of all financially successful people today started off broke or nearly broke.  Many people who have success at weight loss and health come from a place of emotional brokenness.  The list below notes some common denominators to consider in keeping your waistline slim and your wallet full:

1) CONSISTENTLY PLAN: Psychologists and researchers agree, people with an internal locus of control, or the belief that one controls his/her life, are more apt to plan long-term goals, delay gratification, and accept more risk for the promise of more reward.  Whether it is cutting up veggies for the week on Sunday or following a budget, those who plan what they will do…are more apt to do it!

2) IF IT IS TO BE IT IS UP TO ME:  In a study of obese men & women in the Netherlands, researchers found that those who had confidence in their ability to control their weight…lost more weight.  Furthermore, the participants' belief in their ability to make wise food selections helped with weight loss.  Suffice it to say, no one cares more about your money (or health) than you do.

3) KEEP A PERSISTENT POSITIVE ATTITUDE: Getting rid of unhelpful thought patterns and establishing helpful ones can boost weight-loss success.  Experienced CEOs understand that bad attitudes can reduce the effectiveness of their organization. The next time you are tempted to tell yourself, “As soon as I am making X amount of money I will be happy, or, when I can finally fit into those size 8 jeans I will have confidence” STOP.  You must decide that whatever your current circumstances, you will choose to remain positive about what you can do today.  Find a way to have fun with choosing where to spend your money and your time for health, you will be more apt to stick with it.

4) MAINTAIN REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS: Behavioral weight-loss studies show that keeping expectations in check might help dieters from becoming discouraged when they don't drop from a size 20 to a size 6.  This is also true when considering finances.  When looking at your budget of time and dollars/hour earned, we have to evaluate what we can create with what we have.  (but it is OK to dream of all that you desire and more!)

5) FIND ACCOUNTABILITY:  Sticking to your goals can be a long and hard process.  It easy to lose sight of the progress you are making and ditch your savings on a big vacation or take a winter off from exercise to cozy up by the fire.  Having a system in place that measures success and failure will help you to know when to reward with pleasure, or instill a consequence for having steered off course.

For more tips about how you can stick to an effective health program, contact Nicole Irlbeck, owner of Restoration Fitness, LLC at www.restorationfitness.net or by phone at 303.482.6290.