Start With Who

Sometimes a message is repeated so many times to me, through so many different mediums, it seems God himself has decided this is a message I must hear.

Have you ever had this experience? You hear it on the radio, in a book, your friend mentions it, and Google sends you stories about it that you didn’t ask for (side note: Google knows way too much about me!)

Now you can decide if this is serendipitous, divine, or just complete coincidence, but today’s blog was one of those messages.

The message was this: Start with who. In other words: Start with your IDENTITY.

Simon Sinek wrote a fantastic book and TED talk called Start With Why. Super inspiring look into why our why is so important in achieving our goals.

James Clear in Atomic Habits (check out last week’s post) says to Start With Who.

He talks about a man who lost 100 pounds simply by making decisions that a healthy person would make.

He started with his identity. Not his current identity, but his desired identity.

So who do you want to be nutritionally?

For me, I want to be the type of person who makes positive food choices 90% of the time. I want to enjoy food and enjoy those I am eating it with. I want to be the type of person who exercises consistently, and I want to do these things so I have the energy to be the best version of myself.

So let’s get practical. What does a healthy person do? Here’s a brief, terribly incomplete list:

A healthy person…

Eats whole foods

• Avoids processed, toxic foods

• Drinks water

• Walks often

• Exercises regularly

• Is in control of their food choices

• Takes the stairs

• Practices recovery

• Eats vegetables

• Spends time doing healthy activities they enjoy

• Plays

• Limits their time on technology

• Moves throughout the day

Clearly this list could go on forever.

So what about you?

What is your identity when it comes to nutrition? Get crystal clear.

What does that type of person do? Make a list.

Now, when you go about your day, ask yourself the question, “What would a person with my new identity do?” And do it.

Too simple? We like simple.

Here’s to starting with who and moving toward your new identity, one-minute at a time.