Design Your Ideal Body

The idea of fitness begins with the Ideal Body.  The Ideal Body answers the question,  “If you could wave the magic wand and create whatever type of body you wanted with no effort.. how would you look and feel different?” It’s a blue sky question- don’t think about the effort involved, or how achievable your goals are- just imagine what you’d want if you could press a button and have it.

While some would say "that's not realistic", the purpose of the Ideal Body is not to be realistic- that would the "Target Body". In a future post, I'll discuss how to set goals to define your Target Body, which is the answer to  "how close can I get to my Ideal Body with a lifestyle I am willing to live in exchange for it". So, save realism for that process. For now, set sail from the shores of the reasonable. This process is to set your thoughts free.

Whether we know it or not, many of us limit ourselves with an unhealthy body image. Imagining an ideal body opens the mind to new possibilities. Rather than thinking something like, “I’m fat, I’m always going to be fat,” you can replace those limiting thoughts with something compelling that gives you the energy to reach for a higher level of fitness. As you create in your mind’s eye your Ideal Body and translate it into words on paper, it becomes your  personal, magnetic vision of ultimate health and fitness.        

As your Ideal Body takes a more crystallized form in your mind, pay attention to its different attributes. Think about how you would look different, taking inventory of each part of your body and the changes you would like to see. Imagine the difference you would notice in how it feels to move around in a body that is trained to a very high level of fitness. Think about the times of day when your energy was formerly low, and what it is now like to have more energy than needed whenever you need it. Create a mental movie of the times when you would really appreciate and enjoy living in a body that is toned and tight, and can perform at high levels.         

You own it. It is the actualization of your own personal ideals about health and fitness, not somebody else’s. 

Answer the following on a notepad or computer document and put it where you can read it regularly to solidify this vision:

How does having your Ideal Body make you look different? Give an inventory of every part of your body that changes and what it now looks like.

How does having your Ideal Body make you feel different? What times during the day were you less energetic before that are now full of energy and vitality? What new feelings of well being are you now experiencing? What physical things can you now do with ease that give you evidence of your achievement?

What is important to you about achieving your Ideal Body? 

Now, the job is to take inventory of all the parts of yourself that prevented this in the past by asking, “what stopped me from having already achieved this?”  For each objection, develop a accompanying strategy that solves the issue by asking “What would have to be different to overcome this now” or “what new resource do I need to develop for this to be different”.

Resources to develop can be physical things such as a space to exercise in, emotional things like the support of another person who believes in you and is focused on your goals, or accountability to a training schedule. Or, the resource may be more internal, like different idea about yourself and who you are. If your self-identity is a “party animal” it will be difficult to change your health behaviors and your body until you develop another self-image that is more consistent with what you want. 

Some resources you may need are simply new capabilities. The capabilities can include knowledge such as that of proper nutrition, or skills of good exercise form, for instance. 

Another set of resources are those of beliefs. If you don’t believe you can change your body, that will block practicing the correct habits. Beliefs are a higher level of change than habits. If you belief you can change your body, you will seek out and utilize the resources that you need. How will things be different when you totally believe in your ability to do it?

Once you have clearly defined your Ideal Body in full sensory detail, identified your purpose behind it, and developed strategies for overcoming your past obstacles, you are ready to start moving in that direction with realistic goals tied to a time frame. That "Target Body" will be the subject of the next post.

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Comments

[steve]

Amen Chris. Why not shoot for the stars? Positivity and positive thinking can go an extremely long way towards success.

-Steve