This week I am diving into one of the most crucial pieces of making food changes, really any change in our life. Because change is hard and succeeding at a food change requires the understanding and ability to mess up, quit, give up AND then to keep going. Success is just one decision away. One crucial, game, changing, decision way… which is to decide to Just Stop Quitting.

Here is my perspective on failure and success.

The path to success is covered in failures.

The only way to fail is to quit.

Quitting is a choice.

One of the big pieces that I work with my clients on is learning how to mess up, give in, or eat something in-planned AND THEN how to get back on board and keep going.

Our brains do not fail. Failure is emotional pain. Our brains are wired to avoid emotional pain.

When you learn how to manage your brain you understand that failure feels bad, and that does not automatically mean that the game is over.

Feeling bad and failing one thousand times is the path to making food changes that stick for life.

I recently did a 14-day food challenge where almost everyone quit. The only person who did not quit was the one client who participated in the challenge. She had the mental and emotional skills to keep going, to process and feel her ‘bad’ feelings without using foods to feel better, AND she now knows how to feel an urge without automatically responding.

Whatever change you are wanting in your life… use this concept.
Accept that failure is part of the journey.
Failing is not quitting.
Quitting is a decision.
You can choose to keep going.
Committing to the end goal is simply a decision and a follow-through of decisions.

One of my favorite ways to anchor in my big hard goals is attaching ‘no matter what’.

“I am figuring out my gut health, no matter what.”
“I am helping people with their food goals, no matter what.”

What are your “no matter what”?