Hey folks, Board-Certified Health Coach Chloe Maleski is here to answer your questions about having patience and boosting confidence. Struggling to stay the course over the long haul? Feeling insecure about your wellness choices? We\u2019re here with backup! Have a question you\u2019d like to ask our health coaches? Leave it below in the comments or over in the Mark\u2019s Daily Apple Facebook group.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Sandra asked: That\u2019s not off topic at all, Sandra! As a coach, I work with athletes and others seeking to get and stay fit. Whether when it comes to working out or Primal eating and living, meaningful change usually takes commitment, persistence, patience, and time.<\/p>\n This is all the more true when we\u2019re talking about change that is sustainable, rather than a one-off win or achievement.<\/p>\n I realize that \u201cwaiting around\u201d isn\u2019t the most fun or exciting part of change efforts! One way I like to reframe it is thinking of patience as powerful rather than passive.<\/p>\n This shift in narrative reminds us that we\u2019re doing big, important work with each step, each workout, each meal, day after day. Over time, daily disciplines create a stronger, deeper foundation. When results come\u2014and they will come!\u2014they are real and have this foundation to stand on.<\/p>\n In today\u2019s world, things tend to move fast and we are bombarded by promises of new \u201csolutions\u201d and \u201cquick fixes.\u201d In truth, the actual solutions are often quite simple (and not even that surprising).<\/p>\n The 10 Primal Blueprint Laws, for instance, are guidelines that align with our very biology and our (long, slow, patient) evolution. Putting them into practice is another thing entirely, however. Not that doing so has to be hard\u2014it doesn\u2019t! But their impact comes from consistency over time, rather than doing them for one day or one week.<\/p>\n Most of us took many years if not decades to get where we are with eating, movement, lifestyle, and health. Changing any or all of those in a significant way takes at least 21 to 30 days of really showing up for the process.<\/p>\n Typically, patience lags around the midway mark of any challenge, plan, or program. This is a great time to recommit to your \u201cwhy,\u201d read through some success stories for inspiration, and lean into a likeminded community or coach. Doing so can reinforce your trust in the process and serve as a reminder of why the heck you\u2019re putting in the effort!<\/p>\n Another thing I\u2019ll mention comes from my personal practice and how I\u2019ve cultivated patience in fitness and life generally: Whatever I\u2019m doing, I show up fully, without fixating on outcomes.<\/p>\n By prioritizing presence rather than results, I\u2019m able to see each moment and experience as different and new (even if I\u2019m doing the exact same workout or run, completing the exact same morning or evening routine, etc.).<\/p>\n Each moment is unique, and we are a bit different each day. This includes in how we experience the seemingly repetitive things that add up to wellness and fitness over time.<\/p>\n The benefits of this reframe? Well\u2026<\/p>\n First, it reduces boredom!<\/strong> The most ordinary things, done with presence, precision, and care, stop feeling so mundane (at least more of the time).<\/p>\n Second, it requires single tasking.<\/strong> This is one of the best ways I know to counter feelings of overwhelm or anxiety. Perhaps counterintuitively, it also helps \u201cslow time,\u201d helping us get more done with less stress or urgency, fewer errors, and less sloppiness that we\u2019ll need to clean up later.<\/p>\n Third, it brings better outcomes!<\/strong> Yes, we\u2019re shifting away from results and focusing on presence and process. But turns out, doing that brings more of the results we want! Part of this is because we get optimal impact when we show up 100 percent. Another part is that we\u2019re far more likely to make supportive choices when we\u2019re fully present<\/strong> with what we\u2019re doing and feeling now rather than fixating on later.<\/p>\n For me, showing up fully for each thing\u2014including the seemingly small, repetitive ones\u2014 equates to going deeper and building a more powerful, lasting foundation. This, far more than speed or casting a larger net, feels more meaningful and impactful.<\/p>\n All to say: Lean into presence and lean into the process.<\/strong> Might not be the most exciting answer, but I promise it\u2019ll bring epic changes.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Daniel asked: Love this question, Daniel. I can assure you, you\u2019re not alone in asking it or in struggling with confidence when it comes to food, wellness, or anything else.<\/p>\n One simple exercise that I use with coaching clients goes this way:<\/p>\n Draw a big circle with your name in the middle. Inside that circle, write down everything about yourself that feels good and is NOT related to what you\u2019re feeling insecure or unconfident about. These can be things you love, characteristics of yourself, movies, music, friends, family, sunsets, or whatever else makes you feel GOOD.<\/p>\n During times when you\u2019re feeling less confident, return to this circle as a reminder of the whole person that is you.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a reminder that you are so much more than what you do or say or even how you eat and stay healthy. You are a layered, whole person and can\u2019t be boxed in.<\/strong> Focus on items from your \u201cconfidence circle\u201d in moments when you could use a boost\u2026 or could stand to offer yourself grace and compassion.<\/p>\n To answer your question from another angle: Eating and living healthy is one of the most powerful confidence boosters I know!<\/p>\n While change takes time, it also adds up. With each day or week of Primal eating, healthy movement, and other supportive choices, you\u2019ll likely feel better and more secure in your chosen path and your body and mind.<\/strong><\/p>\n Part of this stems from the very tangible, physical outcomes you\u2019re likely to see. Desired changes in weight or body composition, for example. Or shifting unhelpful patterns around emotional eating or mindless snacking. Or any number of other welcome changes in health and wellbeing (as illustrated beautifully in Primal success stories). When we feel and look healthier, it\u2019s attractive, magnetic, and energizing!<\/p>\n This also brings us back to Sandra\u2019s question, above. When we choose to draw a line in the sand and really commit to something that supports us\u2014bringing our presence, persistence, and patience\u2014we gain strength, steadiness, and assuredness as a result.<\/strong><\/p>\n Those \u201cnon-scale gains\u201d contribute to a sort of quiet, inner confidence that doesn\u2019t require external validation or shouting about it. It just is. And it not only feels great but impacts how others see, interact with, and respond to us.<\/p>\n Look, many times we know what to eat and do to feel healthier (or, given the right resources, can learn fairly quickly).<\/p>\n But the sorts of questions and qualities we explored today\u2014patience, presence, confidence, feeling secure\u2014have a HUGE impact on whether we actually do the thing and see meaningful, sustained results.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re struggling in these areas, welcome to the club! It\u2019s part of being human. But as a coach and as someone committed to ongoing self-exploration and growth, I guarantee that we can develop these qualities with time and practice.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for an extra layer of motivation, inspiration, accountability, and support, coaches are great at this. We\u2019re not just here to tell you \u201cwhat to eat\u201d or \u201chow to move.\u201d We\u2019re here to help you develop the characteristics, skills, and confidence to do what will make you feel better\u2026 and keep doing it. Visit myprimalcoach.com to learn more and get started.<\/p>\n Have confidence boosting strategies to share? Or tips for cultivating patience? Inspire others and drop other questions for me in the comments!<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n
\u201cThis might be off topic, but do you have tips for cultivating patience? I struggle with it when it comes to seeing changes from working out (muscle tone, strength, etc.) and in all other areas. I don\u2019t like to wait and find myself getting irritated at how long it takes to see results.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nShow Up, Be Present<\/h2>\n
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\u201cI want to be the kind of person who feels confident in my body and my life. I know that\u2019s vague, but how do you really own who you are as a coach and someone choosing to eat and live healthy? When I\u2019m with family or friends who aren\u2019t into paleo or wellness, I want to be strong and secure instead of making excuses or shrinking.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n![\"myPrimalCoach\"](\"https:\/\/marksdailyapple.com\/uploads\/2022\/01\/MPC-banner-639x232.png\")
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