Wondering how to become vegan? Or how to stick to being vegan? Having a clear vision of what you want to achieve is important for long term success whether you are a beginner vegan or a long time vegan who needs help sticking to your vegan diet. It’s part of your 1st Pillar of Success. In this video I share a very powerful way to get clear on what you want for yourself. (It works for all areas of your life!) If you prefer, you can read the transcript below.
The 4 Pillars Of Success are your ticket to creating the healthy diet and lifestyle you want. Pillar # 1 is Deep Self Understanding. The other pillars are Kitchen Confidence, Common Sense Nutrition Education and Real World Navigation Skills.
Video Transcript
I’m here in one of my favorite places, my front porch at my home here in Arusha, Tanzania. Today I want to talk about one of the Four Pillars Of Success.
When you’re working to become vegan or vegetarian, making a lifestyle change, there are four pillars of your success. If you don’t master all four of them you are going to have a harder time in staying on your healthy diet and lifestyle path.
Today I’m talking about one of the pillars. The first one is Deep Self Understanding, which is a broad topic. There’s a lot of things that are included in this pillar, but the thing that I want to talk about today is, really getting clear on what your goal is. Having your eyes on the prize. What is it that you see yourself doing and why?
I encourage you to take some time to really look at what it is that you want to achieve and how will you know when you get there.
Make A List-“I don’t want…”
One of the exercises that I share in our Pamoja! group coaching and education program is to first make a list of all the things you don’t want. Look at what’s going on in your life right now and make a list. Get as many things as you can. Get 50 things on that list if you can.
I don’t want to be overweight. I don’t want to have the diseases that my mother has. Or, I don’t want to be on this medication anymore. Or I don’t want to contribute to the suffering of the animals. Whatever it is, write down as many things as you can and make them as personal as you can. Make them real to what it is you’re experiencing right now.
What DO You Want Instead?
Once you’ve gotten your list of 50 or more, go back and for each one you’re gonna cross it off. Okay, I don’t want to be overweight anymore. So what is it that I do want instead? I want to be at a healthy weight and make healthy lifestyle choices. I don’t want to be on this medication. I want my body to be healthy naturally. I don’t want … you know, keep going down the list until you have 50 things you do want.
Write The Vision
Then, using those things, you can really create a clear vision for yourself. Write a paragraph or a story of a vision of what it is your life is going to be. Write it in the present tense. I’m so happy that now my body is at its perfect weight and that I don’t have to take the medication anymore because my body is healing itself naturally.
Write yourself a detailed narrative of what it is you want and keep that in mind at all times. Particularly when you’re tempted to to stray off your path. It will help you remind of where it is you’re going and how it is you’ll know when you’re get there.
This is one part of the Deep Self Understanding Pillar that will help you get to where you’re going.
There’s a lot more. There’s a lot more that you need to do. Making this change isn’t real easy for most people. You can’t just snap your fingers and be there. You have to be willing to do the work. If you are willing to do the work to create a plan, a lifestyle program that will help you thrive, then you will be able to do what many people have not been able to do.
Many people get on this path and they fall off and they’re on and and on and off because they haven’t built that foundation for success. They haven’t mastered the Four Pillars Of Success.
Another pillar is Kitchen Mastery. You’ve got to know how to make food you like to eat. It’s hard to stay committed if you don’t enjoy your food. Vegan food shouldn’t be about sacrifice and deprivation. It should be full of satisfying flavorful food you enjoy.
You also have to have Common Sense Nutrition Education so that you aren’t worried about whether you’re getting the protein you need or the nutrients you need. You need to be able to understand because every day they’re coming out with some new study that says X isn’t good for you anymore. Or wait! Y is good, oh you know, cholesterol, it’s not a problem after all. So there are all these conflicting studies that are geared to making you so confused you don’t know what to do. This pillar, Common Sense Nutrition Education will help you stay on track.
And then the fourth pillar is Real World Navigation Skills so that when you are out to lunch with your friends you’ll have a plan for how to keep from falling back into your old ways of eating junk food or animal products. Or or when you’re home for the holidays you’ll have a plan for how to stick to your vegan lifestyle even though those around you are eating meat. Even though the world around you is not set up for your success, you can be successful anyway, as long as you have the navigation skills to handle what comes up.
So those are the Four Pillars.
These Four Pillars Of Success are what we teach in our Pamoja! group coaching and education program as well as in the one-on-one coaching that I do. We really focus on exploring each of these Four Pillars. Diving deep into them to see what it is that you need to work on so that you have that strong foundation for success.
So that you can thrive as a vegan in this non vegan world.
If you’re ready for some help in making your vision become a reality and you are committed to doing the work it takes, I’d love to provide you with the guidance and support that can make your vision become your reality. Find out about our very affordable group coaching and education program, Pamoja! in the blue box below, or about 1-on-1 coaching by clicking here and scheduling a free consultation.
So that’s it for today. I’m Ama Opare here in Arusha Tanzania wishing you a healthy and delicious life. Kwa Heri, (bye)!
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