In Part 2 of this series, Health Fitness Guide – Desire, the Framework for All Achievement, I talked about desire. Though a good framework, desire is not enough to reach your fitness goals. Every day we desire something; a higher paying job, a new car, better health, etc. We can even want these things with a burning desire but how often do those things happen through just wishing? About as often as you win the lottery, right?

If desire's not enough, what's the next step? What will help you attain that which you desire, your fitness goals?

Faith.

I'm not talking about religious faith though that can play a part. I'm talking about faith which can be created. It's defined as a state of mind created by repeated affirmations or instructions given to the subconscious mind in the form of autosuggestion. Autosuggestion coming from oneself, the repetition of verbal or sub-vocal messages as a means of changing behavior.

What exactly does this mean? Through the process just described, you convince the subconscious that the fitness goal which you desire to achieve, you will achieve, and it will act upon that belief by passing back to you concrete plans for achieving that goal in the form of faith. But keep in mind that you must state your affirmations or instructions in the present tense because subconscious knows no past or future, only the present.

If you can convince your subconscious of your fitness desires and faith in those desires then those thoughts turn into reality. You convince the subconscious by emotionalizing your thoughts backed by faith. When that happens the subconscious immediately begins to translate your thoughts into their physical counterparts.

All this means is that through simple, repetitive techniques you retrain your conscious and unconscious mind in a positive, goal oriented manner to overcome old habits and create new fitness habits. These new habits become ingrained and automatic, habits you believe in to the point that you're 100% convinced you can obtain your goals and nothing will get in your way.

Faith.

Borrowing from Napoleon Hill's book "Think and Grow Rich," below is a self-confidence "formula" I've modified for individual health and fitness goals.

Self-confidence Formula

I know that I have the ability to achieve any fitness goal in life; therefore, I demand of myself persistent, continuous action toward its attainment.
I realize the dominating thoughts of my mind will eventually reproduce themselves in outward, physical action, and gradually transform themselves into physical reality; therefore, I will concentrate my thoughts at least twice daily upon the task of thinking of the fitness goal I intend to achieve, thereby creating in my mind a clear mental picture.
I know through the principle of autosuggestion, any fitness desire that I persistently hold in my mind will eventually seek expression through some practical means of attaining it; therefore, I will devote ten minutes daily to demanding of myself the development of self-confidence.
I have clearly written down a description of my fitness goal, and will never stop trying, until I have developed sufficient self-confidence for its attainment.
I will sign my name to this formula, commit it to memory, and repeat it aloud twice a day, once upon arising and once before retiring to bed, with full faith that it will gradually influence my thoughts and actions so that I will become a self-reliant, and successful person.
In the next part of this series I'll focus on autosuggestion and lay out concrete tools for influencing the subconscious mind through autosuggestion.