The #1 way to achieve your dream life

Last week’s blog post was about how to use healthy habits to achieve your goals and how each goal gets you one step closer to your dreams. And it’s true! But there are a lot of healthy habits to choose from! Such habits include moving your body, getting organized, thinking positively and sleeping well. Each of these habits will definitely build you up and not tear you down. And each one will help you level up your health.

So, where do you start? There are arguably hundreds, if not thousands, of healthy habits that can help you get from where are you now to where you want to be. But which one is the most high-yield? Which habit can be the first domino that will knock down all the other dominoes in your life? Which habit will have the biggest, most meaningful impact on your health?

What’s the most important healthy habit?

Start with eating well. When you eat well, you will feel well which allows you to perform well. It’s true! Now, there are plenty of opinions out there that will disagree with me. But keep reading and hear me out. Healthy eating is the habit to adopt to get the life you want.

Healthy eating is a keystone habit.

Healthy eating is known as a keystone habit. A keystone habit is the granddaddy of habits. It’s the one that tells the rest of your habits to get in line. It’s been shown again and again that a healthy eating habit will make you more likely to sleep better, exercise more, and feel less stressed. This chain reaction works because eating well brings about a series of small wins.

Small wins

A small win is a micro success. It’s when one of your small actions brings about a positive outcome. And it feels good. So, you do it again and again until you’re doing it automatically. It becomes a habit. And mastering this new, small habit creates an environment that makes you more likely to build other small habits … to achieve other small wins. A small win also gives you the confidence to take on another new habit. And it makes success more likely as you become more aware of your resources and obstacles.

Small wins are small in stature but big in power. The power of small wins is in what you do every day. And this power determines your energy - your mental, emotional and physical - potential. When you think about eating, think about energy. Because food is the information and the fuel that keeps you going. What you’re eating determines your energy.

Protect your energy.

How much energy do you have? On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the optimal amount of energy, how would you rank yourself now? If you feel that your energy is less than or equal to 7, please keep reading. A 7 is like a C … minus. That grade suggests that you probably don’t have enough energy for your current life. And, if that’s so, how can you reach your dream life? Dreams aren’t made with C- energy.

If your answer was between 8 and 10, still keep reading! If you’re giving yourself a B or so, you’re probably feeling pretty good now. So, just imagine what you can accomplish when you feel amazing! Healthy eating habits can get you to amazing. Here’s how.

When you pay more attention to your eating habits, you will cause other widespread, possibly unexpected, changes that will increase your energy. Eating better will help you move your body more. Healthy eating habits help you feel less stressed. Eating well will help you sleep more comfortably. Eating better will noticeably decrease the pain in your bones and joints. And all of these small wins encourage you to pay even more attention to what you’re eating. Because your body will start to crave more of this positive change.

Keep it simple.

One reason that healthy eating is so effective is that it’s simple. No, it’s not easy. But it’s straightforward, especially with a little guidance. Let me show you. Eating isn’t new to you. That may sound silly, but it’s true. Unlike a healthy habit like going to the gym every day, you’re already eating every day. You may want to level up your eating, but that’s simpler than starting from scratch. You’re more likely to stick with a familiar habit than a brand new one.

Add, don't take away.

Also consider that a truly healthy eating habit isn’t about cutting out pleasurable food. That’s why diets don’t work. Human nature doesn’t respond well to being restricted or being told what to do. Instead, think about adding pleasurable and nutritious food to your day. When you approach healthy eating from a perspective of abundance, you’ll be more successful. You’ll feel better, more satisfied, if you tell yourself that you’re getting more goodness, more food, more energy. Who doesn’t like more?! So, add more whole foods to your meal. Add more fresh veggies and fruits to your day. Adding to your life usually feels better than taking away.

You make energy.

Finally, healthy eating maximizes your energy. Again, what you eat builds and rebuilds you over and over again. And it produces your energy. You don’t just have energy. You actively make energy - every day. And your energy depends on the food you eat. So, if you’re not eating healthfully, you may be making less energy - without realizing it. When you eat well, you won’t feel sluggish. You won’t feel foggy. You won’t feel weak. Again, your body makes energy. The gym doesn’t make energy. Supplements don’t make energy. Not even caffeine makes energy. You make energy. So, give your body the tools to make as much high energy as possible. Eat good food.

So, if you want to level up so that your dream becomes your life, you have to protect your energy. Protect your mental energy. Protect your emotional energy. Protect your physical energy. And that starts with what you’re eating.

This post was a bit high-level, but I really want you to understand the why behind my nutrition recommendations. So, next week’s blog post is about the what. I’ll be sharing what foods to put in your body in order to make the energy to chase after your dreams.

If you want to level up your eating habits with my help, click here to sign up for my 5-day Healthy Habits Challenge. It starts September 9th (Labor Day will be here before you know it!). We can work toward your dreams together!