How many times have you heard me say “keep your eyes on the prize?” Honestly, I know I say it a lot, maybe not as often as I say what you put into your body directly determines what you can get out of it. But there is a reason I say both of them so often. Too often we forget that what we think about ourselves matters more than anything else we do. Most of us fail to see just how pivotal to our success the right mindset can be. I want you to take a minute with me and see just how important it is to develop the right mindset that will set you up for success.
From Your Head to Your Heart
Visualizing your dreams means deliberately replaying a mental vision and image of where or who you would like to be. Leaders and successful people in every field cite visualization as a primary factor in reaching success. Even superstars like Will Smith have used the simple but powerful tool of “visualizing your dreams” to reach where they are today:
“In my mind, I’ve always been an A-list Hollywood superstar.”
Will Smith
It is important to understand the concept that he who says he can do something, will, and he who says he cannot do anything will not, and both are correct. People who say they can do something often visualize themselves achieving what it is they want, and that visualization of accomplishment stimulates their psychological functioning. This excited state of mind is a booster that gives them confidence and pushes them to perform whatever necessary in order to achieve goals. When these people accomplish what they want, their intuition gives them an even more powerful challenge of, “You can do more!” creating a powerful, constructive cycle.
How to Nurture Your Vision
Here are few tips for visualizing your dreams and setting in motion those things you must do to accomplish them:
1. Focus on your dreams, aims, and objectives.
Life is complicated and it’s easy to get tangled up in the chaos, leaving your dreams neglected and unnourished. Identify your goals and adopt persistence and perseverance toward achieving those goals.
2. Adopt a positive mindset and start living like a champion.
Above all, get rid of the “self-pity” nature. If you imagine yourself a victor and behave like one, you will be one someday because “The man who wins is the man who thinks he can.”
3. Experience the joy of achieving your dream by involving your sense organs in this process.
If you want to be an Oscar winner, imagine it. Use supplementary material, for example, to set a stage in your room with a microphone. Prepare a speech and finally lift up the Oscar. This might sound crazy to a few of you, but you would be surprised at how many actual Oscar winners say they used to do the very same thing.
4. Prepare stimulants and place them at different locations where you spend most of your time, such as your room or your workplace.
Stimulants can be quotes that serve as reminders and help you to visualize your dreams. Consider the Oscar example again. You can save a picture of some Oscar winner in your cell phone with a dialogue that reminds you that, “you will be among the elite Oscar winners someday.”
5. Above all focus on achieving your dreams and plan to work toward it.
J. K. Rowling asserts that “It does not do to merely dwell on dreams and do nothing.” Remind yourself not to spend too much time daydreaming. Plan what you should do to achieve your goals and start working on that plan with persistence, perseverance, and passion.
Map it Out
I want you to take 1-2 hours today to really think about one goal that you want to achieve. You can pick anything, no matter how big or small you wish to choose. But take that one goal and I want you to break down what you will need to reach that goal along with some of the obstacles you may come up against in the process. Once you have done this, write down at least two solutions to each obstacle. If you are having trouble coming up with solutions I would suggest writing down a list of your personal strengths that can help you achieve said goal. Often this helps to remind you that there really isn’t anything you cannot do.
Take Action
Now that you have a goal in mind along with a list of steps to help you get there. Start with one step that can help you achieve that goal. Give yourself enough time to complete that step or create a habit of it (this will depend on your goal). For example, your goal may be to be at a healthy weight. Find out what you consider to be a healthy weight range (based on my height and BMI I should weigh between 170-190). Then I would focus on key steps/changes to help me reach that goal. Such as removing processed foods from my daily nutrition (it takes 3 weeks for it to become a habit). Then I would move onto drinking enough water (1-2 litters based on my current weight to lose excess). Continue, and before you know it you have achieved your goal.
Have A Plan
Whenever I work with a client we do something very similar. I have them write down what it is they would like to work on and why (prior to meeting with me). Then I have them do a food journal for a week (without any changes to their nutrition). This information helps me identify where the holes are in my client’s approach. After I evaluate all the information we create a plan together using these basic steps. You would be surprised by how many of us are actually creating (unknowingly more often than not) our own health problems. One of the most eye-opening moments for me. Was learning that in an attempt to heal me the medications I had been taking were doing more harm than good. I cannot tell you how often I see the same thing with my clients. That’s why I cannot stress it enough, LISTEN to YOUR BODY!
Lemon Rosemary Cake
Gluten Free Vegan Serves 12
- 1 ½ Cups Coconut Flour
- ¾ tsp Sea Salt
- 1 Cup Almond Flour
- ¼ tsp Baking Soda
- 1 ¼ tsp Baking Powder
- 10 Tbsp Vegan Butter
- 1 ¾ Cup Coconut Sugar (divided)
- 3 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1 Cup Coconut Milk Full Fat
- 2 tsp Pure Vanilla
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary Minced
- ½ Cup Applesauce
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Zest
- 6 Tbsp Aquafaba (juice from chickpea can)
- 1 Cup Vanilla Cashew Yogurt
Frosting:
- 8 ounces Vegan Cream Cheese
- ½ Cup Vegan Butter
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Zest
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla
- 2 ½ Cups Powdered Coconut Sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pretreat two 8-9 inch round cake pans with the nonstick option of choice. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and 1 ½ cups of coconut sugar. Using another bowl combine melted butter, milk, melted oil, vanilla, zest, rosemary, applesauce, and yogurt. For the meringue: beat aquafaba at a medium speed with a mixer until foamy. While mixing slowly add in the remaining ¼ cup coconut sugar. Beat on high until stiff peaks form (for added stability you can add ¼ tsp tapioca starch) and set aside. Add wet ingredients (yogurt mixture) into dry ingredients slowly while mixing. Make sure to scrape the sides and ensure that the batter is well combined.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in ½ of the meringue until just incorporated. Then fold in the remaining meringue into the batter. It’s important not to overwork the batter. You want it to be light and fluffy. Divide the batter evenly into the two cake pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through. The cake will begin to pull away, the center will no longer jiggle in the center when it’s finished. Allow cakes to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
For Frosting:
Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix well making sure to scrape the sides of any splatter. It’s best to start at a low setting and work your way up. Continue until combined and creamy. I like to bake lemon slices with the rind on in the oven to top the cake with. You could also die them if you would like. It is really good with a lemon curd filling or even a chia jam filling in between the two cakes.
Need A Hand?
A happy and healthy life is closer than you may think. Our health is something that we all have to deal with daily, and when we don’t feel our best, it shows. If you are tired of just making it through your day then you NEED to start investing in your health today! You are not alone on this journey. If you ever need any help I am always here to do just that. Even if it is something as small as just acting as a sounding board. Do you have any questions or concerns I can help you with? Feel free to contact me directly at [email protected] or you can even book a one-on-one call with me. Be sure to subscribe to gain access to tons of free goodies and check back daily for more great recipes and information!