3047: What Would Your Future Self Thank You For? by Marc Bilodeau of Fit Trend on Building Daily Habits

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[00:00:28] This is Optimal Health Daily. What Would Your Future Self Thank You For by Marc Bilodeau of Fittrend.com And I'm Dr. Neal, your host and narrator. Hey there, happy Sunday and welcome back to Optimal Health Daily, or OHD, where I read to you from some of the most popular health and fitness blogs online. And with that, let's get right to it as we optimize your life.

[00:00:58] What Would Your Future Self Thank You For by Marc Bilodeau of Fittrend.com If you could travel back in time to visit your younger self, what would you thank yourself for doing then that you're reaping the benefits for now? Did you get the perfect job, got into a particular hobby, or met the right person? Regardless of the answer, events have happened to you that have shaped you into the person you are today.

[00:01:24] Yet today, you're shaping your future self by the choices you make right now. If your future self visited you, what would they thank you for? Will they speak of gratitude or regret? More importantly, what are you doing for them today? Who is your future self? Take a moment to picture yourself a month, six months, or even five or more years from now. First, set the scene by imagining your future self.

[00:01:52] Don't overlook the details and think about the answers to some of these questions. Where will you be? How will you move? What will your energy be like? Who will you have around you? How will you wake up feeling? What will your morning routine look like? What habits will be second nature? How will you look? What will you no longer worry about? And what will you be proud of? Your future self is important, so take the time to think it through.

[00:02:21] Put yourself in your future self's shoes. The more you can imagine, the more powerful the pull to become that person will be. So, with your future self in mind, how do you get there? Become the person you want to be. You're busy, and there's likely a lot going on in your life, so it's easy to push your health goals aside for more pressing wants and needs. When you do have some free time, you want to spend it relaxing, because you don't have the energy to exercise.

[00:02:50] Also, you likely have a set daily schedule and habits that make it difficult to fit something else in. It's easy to skip those healthy habits, because they require time and effort, and the rewards feel distant. So, it's easy to tell yourself you'll do it tomorrow or next week to get back on track. Unfortunately, that rarely happens. Goals help you make improvements in your life, but goals, like losing weight or running a race, are outcomes that you work towards.

[00:03:20] Unfortunately, it's easy to fall back into old habits once you've achieved your goals. Instead of focusing on the results, aim to embrace behaviors and habits that align with the person you want to become. You won't be able to overhaul your habits and lifestyle overnight. It's about making small but consistent actions that will keep you moving toward your goals. So, what can you do today to move you toward your ideal future self? The power of small everyday choices.

[00:03:50] It's easy to underestimate the impact of seemingly insignificant habits and daily choices. Skipping one workout or grabbing fast food for one meal won't ruin your health, just as eating one healthy meal won't transform it. However, making the same choices most days will affect your health, for better or worse. What would your future self think of your choices today? While a 10-minute walk today doesn't feel like it's life-changing,

[00:04:18] multiply that by 365 and you've logged over 60 hours of movement in a year. That's one small change that makes a positive impact over time. Small changes matter, and they're often easy to start, and with consistency can give your future self something to be grateful for. So, what is one small change you can do today? Is it drinking a glass of water, stretching before bed, or swapping your evening of scrolling for exercise or meditation?

[00:04:47] Whatever consistent change you decide to make, your future self will notice. Your future self is more than a number. Tracking your progress helps you stay engaged and make any necessary adjustments along the way. Even when things aren't perfect, tracking helps you see your progress. Tracking gives you real-time feedback on what's working and what isn't. While tracking yourself is important, you are not defined by numbers.

[00:05:14] Success isn't about how much money or friends you have, and your health isn't defined by a certain weight, how much you can bench press, your clothing size, or your resting heart rate. Weight loss or fitness milestones can be motivating, helping you achieve specific goals. But the benefits of taking care of your health go far beyond that. What would your future self be capable of doing if you were to eat a sensible diet and consistently exercise? Today's choices are tomorrow's reality.

[00:05:43] Your health goals may be to have more energy, strength, and confidence. These won't happen by accident or from inconsistently exercising. It's built, choice by choice. The good news is, you don't need to overhaul everything at once. Start with just one thing today and make small, intentional choices that nudge you in the right direction. Your future self is cheering you on. Always something. Perfectionism is a progress killer.

[00:06:10] It's impossible to follow any plan perfectly because life gets in the way sometimes. One skipped workout or eating two helpings of dessert isn't failure. What matters is how quickly you bounce back. Instead of an all-or-nothing mentality, shift your mindset to focus on always something. Maybe you don't have time for a full workout, but you can still do something. Perhaps it's a 10-minute walk or just five push-ups.

[00:06:38] Either way, it's a win because you've done something. The takeaway. Your future self is shaped by the choices you make today, no matter how small. Visualizing your future self and how you feel, move, and live can help determine the actions you should take now. Instead of chasing short-term goals, focus on adopting behaviors and habits that align with your future self. Progress isn't about perfection or reaching a specific number.

[00:07:05] It's about consistent, meaningful choices that compound over time. Start small and adopt an always something mindset. Every choice you make today is an investment in the life you want to live tomorrow. So, what's one thing you can do now that your future self will thank you for? Start today and work towards the person you want to be, one choice at a time.

[00:07:34] You just listened to the post titled, What Would Your Future Self Thank You For? by Mark Bilodeau of Fittrend.com And I'll be right back with my commentary. Oikos presents 15 seconds of strength. Here we go. Steve's got a trunk full of groceries and no one to help him. Oh, that's tough, Jim. Looks like a five trip load at least. He grabs the first bag. The second. Bob, it looks like he's trying to do it on one trip. He shimmies the door open, steps over the dog. Oh, and he stumbles. Oh, right into the kitchen without missing a beat.

[00:08:03] Jim, now that's a man who eats his protein packed Oikos. With 15 grams of complete protein in each cup, Oikos Triple Zero can help build strength for every day. Oikos. Stronger makes everything better. Steuer? Aber easy. Mit Wieso Steuer? Einfach Foto deiner Dokumente machen und schwupps wird alles automatisch ausgefüllt. Kein Plan, ob's passt? Wieso Steuer? Prüf deine Angaben noch vor Abgabe. So gibt's keine Fehler mehr. Und bei Fragen hilft dir Steuer-GPT so, dass du's verstehst. Das Beste?

[00:08:31] Du siehst jederzeit, was du zurückbekommst. So steigt deine Erstattung und die Vorfreude. Jetzt ausprobieren und noch schnell bis zum 31. Juli abgeben. Wieso Steuer? So einfach war Steuererklärung noch nie. Dr. Neil here for my commentary. No joke, at the bottom of all of my professional emails, I have a quote that says, do something today for which your future self will thank you.

[00:08:57] So anyone who's received an email from me, from my .edu email address, sees that quote at the bottom. And I've used that quote for years. I don't even remember how long. So I really love today's topic. And today's author Mark gave us some fantastic suggestions. And whenever you hear a list of suggestions like these, don't try and tackle them all at once. Mark even said, try small steps. Do one or two things that made you stop and think, hey, I like that idea.

[00:09:26] Now, if I had to prioritize which one I would recommend maybe a patient or client starts with, if they were lost, I would say track your progress. Write everything or as much as you can down. And second, don't let mistakes or lapses stop you on your path. Those things happen. They happen all the time, but it doesn't mean you need to stop and give up. You're a human. Mistakes will be made. Have patience with yourself.

[00:09:54] After all, how long did it take for those not so great habits that you're trying to change? How long did it take for those to form? How long did it take for these not so great habits to form in the first place? They didn't happen overnight, right? They took weeks, months, if not years. So, why wouldn't good habits in place of those not so good ones not take the same amount of time? They do. So, please remember that.

[00:10:21] We shouldn't expect habits to break overnight. Healthy habits take time to form just like the not so healthy ones. All right, that'll do it for today's episode. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for sharing this show with someone. And thank you so much for listening every day. I hope you have a great rest of your weekend. And of course, I'll see you back here tomorrow where optimal life awaits. I'll see you next time. I'll see you next time. Take care.