A Podcast with Purpose, Ep. 2 (Transcript)
Hello and thank you for joining me today, this is a Podcast with Purpose.
This will be An easy listen; a simple- feel good conversation to help you discover your true self and live your life on purpose. I am your host Peggy Romero and it is my heart’s desire to walk with you and share with you raw and authentic coaching and stories. I have years of experience so I've got lots of stories.
Wasting no more time… let's get started. As I record this podcast I am in Miami Florida. I'm working on my own goals and doing a private workshop by request. I love setting goals, andI think it's because I like achieving goals! One thing I know about myself is I'm really into instant gratification. Sometimes that works really well and other times it's not so good. For example one of my favorite things to do is paint a room. You start in the morning and something looks one way, you put it back together that night and it looks completely different.
I just recently took two pieces of furniture that I didn't love and put them together to make one. It was fun and it was really rewarding. I have this oak dresser and the top was all warped on it. I bought it used for $40 bucks a few years ago, thinking I might redo the top, I never did. I had a friend that gave me this little TV stand that I had sitting in front of the window with my plants on it. I never really liked it, it was just there because I needed it. What I wanted in front of that window was a sofa table; you know they're a few feet tall you put them behind your couch. A table like that would fit perfectly in that window but I never found one the right size for a good price. I had these four table legs, I probably got them in a garage sale or something, some years ago and I decided to build my own table. Now I didn't need the TV stand anymore. I got the idea to cover up the warped top on the dresser by putting the TV stand on top of it. I could picture that if it was all painted one color and had the same handles, that it would look like one piece. It worked… I did it! I spent days thinking about it.
Wondering if I could pull it off, once I made the decision, I had to figure out what color I wanted, what handles would I use and what color would the handles be. Then one morning I started on it and finished it the same day. Instant gratification! It's so cute and I didn't have to lose any of my much-needed storage space.
I also put up wallpaper in my bedroom a couple of weeks ago and again you start off in the morning and it looks one way and by the end of the day you put it back together and you've completely transformed it into something else. I love it! It is totally different and beautiful.
Now here's where goal setting comes in… big goals don't happen overnight. Some things that take a longer time to accomplish and are very often the things that we give up on. But when you're trying to become a better person, when you envision the person that you've always wanted to be; that grand beautiful vision of you… that, takes time.
Yes, some thing's on the outside you could do in a day. If you're a brunette with long hair and you always wanted to be a blonde with short hair- cut and color. Yes, you could do that or you could just go buy a wig , right? 😊
You could change your clothing style by going shopping. If you want to wear a smaller size and just need to lose a few pounds, you could go buy some Spanx and voila look like you lost it. One size smaller; and instant gratification. But when we're trying to make real changes in our life it's not so easy. Now we have to decide what we really want in life and not only that, it's really important to know why you want it.
Most of the time, we don't want a certain thing because of the thing; we want it because of how we believe we will feel when we have it. Many of us want a healthy life. We want to feel good, we want to look good; but there's a why behind those things. Me I love to travel. I love to go places and do new things. I don't ever want to have to say I can't do that, because I'm too out of shape. I don't want get too old to walk around Disneyland or go on roller coasters with my grandkids. I don't want to pass on a hike because I can't make it up the side of the mountain. And yes, I'm 61, I'm getting older and I'm not in denial, but I learn and read and hear and study a lot.
Muscle is the number one biomarker for health. I need protein. I need strength training. I’ve got to do some cardio, I need to keep walking and moving every day. We lose muscle as we age. Not only do I not want to lose the muscle that I have, I also want to build more. But transforming our bodies does not happen overnight. So if you want instant gratification while you're on a journey like this – it’ll be a bit harder, daily, it’s going to take some time. You’ll have to look for it in the little things; you're won’t see something new everyday. It takes weeks or months to lose the size. It's a lot harder than putting on a pair of spanks. You don't eat salad for lunch one day and feel better that night. Or do you? Actually you could… Depends on what you tell yourself. We all need positive self-talk. We need to be our own cheerleaders because the rest of the world is not going to do it for us.
I think it's so important to feed our body what we need and give it the exercise that it requires. We also need to feed our minds what it needs and exercise our brain- it's important. You need to nurture yourself- care for yourself every day. I live in a 55 and older community in the winter and it's a really active community, there are literally hundreds of people at any given moment walking, playing pickleball, jogging, riding bikes, all those things. I think we have about six or eight exercise classes a day available to us. I've never counted them- they're actually probably more counting all the pool aerobics and water classes, there's no reason to sit around and do nothing there really is something for everyone… Actually three or four different types of yoga, there is Tai chi and several stretching classes a day, there is also a gym and walking videos and classes, there’s a hiking club. Ok so there's way more than 10 things a day available to us. The point is, that I try to talk to my friends about doing something about building muscle, about setting a goal to feel good for as long as possible, just by doing the small things. Most of them just say I know, I know… but they actually don't do anything. Can I ask you? What are you doing to stay active and healthy? You would not be listening to this podcast if you didn't care about personal growth. I don't think you would still be listening if you didn't care about yourself and about making yourself a priority.
We're coming up on a new year and everyone is thinking about new habits and goals. I like to start early. For me, New Year's resolutions always seemed like a rule that was meant to be broken. Nobody really expects to quit smoking on New Year's do they? Don’t they just put it off over the holidays because it’ll be easier and January sounds like a good time to start? I quit smoking about 20 years ago- I didn't wait for any certain day. I just quit. When I started on my weight loss journey- I just started. So I’ll ask you - when will you start putting yourself first? When will you connect to your why, and get moving on whatever your goal is. I believe taking care of your body is an excellent choice for all of us. Because the body supports the mind. Oh my gosh I want to keep my mind sharp no matter how old I am. And here's something to think about, if the body supports the mind you start taking care of your body and your mind becomes more clear, then it makes it easier to focus on taking care of the body… instead of a vicious cycle; it's a beautiful cycle. I know how it is the other way around too - you start out the day saying:
Oh, today's the day! I'm going to exercise and eat right and drink my water and do all of these things. But then, by 10:00 AM you have a bagel and cream cheese instead of the protein shake that you were going to have and then you don't feel like working out - so you don't. And then you decide - I’m just going to have one more day of doing whatever I want, and I'll start fresh tomorrow. I’ve been there!! You see? That's the body supporting the mind too. It works both ways- and the decision is yours.
I'm reading a book called Forever Strong by Gabrielle Lyon. I believe that that's where I read that obesity hurts your brain. That's another reason to be in shape. Concentrating on a lifestyle of building muscle at any age is a step in the right direction and you don't have to be 55 and older. Lots of benefits with this kind of lifestyle just to name a few; Balance your blood sugar- Increased energy and mental clarity- Decrease your body fat- Reduce cravings. Sounds great to me. I have proven this to myself - the more I work out the better I feel. The body always supports the mind; take care of your body, your mind will follow and vice versa. Like I mentioned. it's a beautiful cycle.
So where do I start? That's entirely up to you because I don't know where you're at right now. And remember I'm not a doctor, I'm just a person who's been able to lose 60 lbs by working out and eating right. I'm still learning how to eat right- but what's right for me may not be right for you and you may be in much better shape than I am- or maybe you’re not.
Are you in great shape but know that you need to build up muscle? Then maybe just start doing some resistance training- walking, more getting out more and focus on eating lean protein.
Maybe you're really young and in perfect shape and just intend stay that way, or maybe you need to lose weight- that will be a different diet. In that same Forever Strong book Dr. Lyons suggests 1g of protein for every pound you want to weigh. So if you goal is to weigh 120 you would eat 120 grams of protein. if your goal is 160 a 160 grams of protein per day divided by the three or four meals you eat daily. Here's her great idea that stuck with me- start with protein! Sounds so easy- Just make sure you eat the protein first - otherwise you might get too full before you get around to the protein or you might eat too many calories before you get around to the protein. Here’s an easy to start with idea- skip the bread they bring to the table when you sit down at a restaurant – save it for last or don’t eat it at all. You will probably be plenty full after the meal. And tracking your food will help a lot. I have been using the lose it app for several years – there are many to choose from Pick one that works and use it. Makes life much easier- it does the work for you.
So back to goal setting on purpose...
Settings goals that reflect your true self- identity-based goals. Instead of focusing solely on outcomes, identity-based goals involve a shift in mindset and self-perception. Instead of asking what do I want- Ask your self "Who do I want to be?" Next transitioning that, into "I am" – this way- we connect with a deeper sense of self. For instance, instead of just wanting to lose weight, we adopt the identity of a health-conscious person who makes healthy choices consistently. By integrating this new identity into our beliefs, thoughts, and actions, we create a new reality for ourselves. Not I want --- But I am . In order to make true change, we’ll need to change our behavior and our actions. Understanding our behavior is set by the programs and beliefs we hold in minds. These beliefs account for all of our actions and habits. How we behave now is a reflection of the identity we hold in mind, whether we realize it or not. We can change our mind – our habits – our behavior and our identity.
This is where the Stress Mastery Higher Goal Setting Process comes in. By discovering and connecting with our inner spark and desires, and then setting our intention We can adopt change. We can begin new routines. We learn to break free from unconscious habits and release old programming that no longer serves us. Through this process, we shift our reality. You really can become anybody you want to be. But again, you’ll need self- awareness. Listen to what you're saying about yourself. You must put yourself first in order to spend this much time on change. But you're worth it! If you think you don't have time, because you're taking care of other people, reframe your thoughts- first be the best person you can be and you will be better able to take care of the people that are counting on you. I know it's hard because we're taught not to be selfish; but sometimes we just have to be. Just like putting on the oxygen mask on yourself before you try to help somebody else put theirs on.
Open your mind to new possibilities. Allow yourself to become the person that you were always meant to be. Here some simple tips to get started on goal setting:
Write out everything you think you want. Write it all out.
Then go back through the lists and decide what you really want and why.
Take that desire and connect it to your heart and set your intention-
Stay connected to the why – remember why you want it. There won't be a lot of instant gratification. But if you stay connected to the why then you can stay focused.
Take the time and do this correctly- there is a detailed lesson available for you right now. We have a great course on higher goal setting made available by Bill Cortright. You can go to my website Peggy romero.com and request it from me or go to the stress mastery community.com to download the document. Either way it's worth your time to go through it. Make a plan and take your time.
After these books I've been reading lately about muscle and protein, I would like to encourage you- if you don't do anything else, get plenty of protein and start some resistance training. If you're not up for that start out by taking a walk. A 5-minute walk will soon become a 10-minute walk, and then a 15 minute walk. One of my goals is to start walking every night after dinner again. I did that for several years until I lost my walking partners, and I just didn't feel like doing it by myself. This is an excellent decision for me. I know that I feel better when I do it.
Speak positive to yourself. I am healthy and strong. I love to go for walks. I make healthy choices consistently. I feel fantastic! By speaking positively to yourself you create a new reality. If I start talking negatively about myself, I catch myself so fast because it goes against my habit of positive self-talk that I have created.
Set some goals for yourself big or small. Think about what things are going to stop you from achieving that goal because we all have boulders in our paths, we all have habits that stop us from achieving our goals. It’s like stepping into a pothole- they will be there, so be ready for them.
I love to eat popcorn at night, I know if I'm going to stop eating popcorn at night then I have to stop buying popcorn! I know you understand what I'm saying. Be prepared.
I hope this will help you get on a path to self-discovery and helps you set some identity based goals
If you need my help – reach out.
Thank you so much for joining me today- it means the world to me! For each of you I pray, faith hope, and love fills your life. Remember this is your life! Let go of doubt and fill your heart with faith.
Live every day on purpose,
Peggy Romero