If you or someone you know has ever lost weight only to gain it right back, or started on a weight loss kick but lost their motivation, there’s a very good chance that the cause was their self-image. Few people consider this, but your inner image of who you are and what you are capable of is the compass for all of your behaviors, and therefore in control of your results. It’s been said by behavioral and motivation experts that it’s impossible for you to consistently outperform your self-image.

In fact, in his book “With Winning in Mind” Olympic Gold Medalist and motivational expert Lanny Bassham says that if you do anything which is out of sync with your self-image, you’ll subconsciously move towards stopping that behavior as soon as possible. For example, if a person who has a self-image which is out of sync with living a healthy lifestyle, they’ll only be able to live a healthy lifestyle for a short period of time. A good example of this is a person who gets on a healthy weight loss plan, and achieves some results, but then stops and gains all the weight right back.

The same is true if a person has a self-image which is out of sync with having financial freedom. This is how a person who is living pay check to pay check can start making more money, and up their lifestyle to where they are once again pay check to pay check. We call these behaviors self-sabotage, but most of us just think that the cause of the problem is something external, or a simple “lack of motivation and discipline.” However, at the core of this is the person’s self-image, and in order to create permanent change, the self-image must grow to match the desired result.

The First Step to Self-Image Transformation: Self-Awareness

I’ve always told my clients this: “You must grow for the life that you want, not for the life that you already have.” What I mean by this is that if you want a permanent positive change in your life, you must grow, and personal growth begins with the self-image. Your self-image might not represent who you really are, more the person who you believe that you are. However, your self-image is really the only part of you that matters because it’s the only part which is actively involved in your life. In short, your self-image represents the parts of yourself which you accept and value as being a part of your identity.

For example, no matter how talented a person is, they only use the talents which they value. No matter how beautiful someone is, their actions and beliefs only reflect that beauty if they accept it as being a part of their identity. The same is true with your self-image in regard to your weight, your level of physical activity and your eating habits. You cannot force these things to change without changing your self-image first, because your self-image is what controls your actions. If this is a change you are ready to make, read the offer below for how to get more free information.

Author's Bio: 

Seth Czerepak is a personal achievement expert, professional copywriter and the Vice President of VQ Success LLC.

Seth has been practicing and studying the strategies of behavioral transformation and personal leadership development for fifteen years and has empowered hundreds of people to make positive changes in their lives. He has coached people from various backgrounds: athletes, salespeople, corporate executives, parents, couples, teenagers, medical professionals, artists, freelance entrepreneurs and even people suffering from substance addiction and depression.

Seth Czerepak is no stranger to the challenge of personal adversity, having successfully used the method of Value Driven Transcendence to overcome addiction, poverty, divorce, obesity, and financial ruin, and to restore the broken relationships in his life. He has learned the difference between personal leadership development theories which have no place in real life and practical strategies which can be used to create genuine results.