Success Habits – Podcast Episode 2 Featuring Mindset Trainer, Caroline Ferguson.
Have you ever noticed the carrot in our profile picture, or on other illustrations throughout Size HH community?
Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean you have to start eating carrots all day. In fact, that little carrot is a symbol of motivation for us here at Size HH.
Why?
Let me explain…
Our resident Cognitive Behavioral Hypnotherapist, Caroline Ferguson introduced the concept to us and our readers as part of a goal setting technique.
Caroline tells us that there are two main types of goals which lead to different types of motivation. Stick motivation and carrot motivation.
As Caroline explains in the Size HH book and our latest episode of the podcast, stick motivation and carrot motivation have two very different effects on our mind and body.
Stick motivation is when we want to move away from pain, so our immediate goal is to get away from the pain and discomfort as quickly as possible.
Carrot motivation is when we have a goal that makes us feel excited, like a vision of something we want to do or be. It is the opposite from moving away from pain, it is a goal that moves us towards joy.
Here’s an example of these two types of motivation in action.
“I feel so fat, I am going to stop eating carbs and go on a diet until I see the results on the scales.” This is stick motivation, where they want to move away from the pain of feeling uncomfortable in their body. The goal is to diet to lose weight.
“I want to feel healthy, happy and confident in my body, be able to feel comfortable in swimwear and keep up with the kid’s energy.” This is carrot motivation. It holds a clear vision of what the results would be. The goal is to aim for happy, healthy, and confident.
So, what is best for you? Both kinds of motivation and goals can be beneficial at some stages of life. However, if you are looking for long-term results for your body and mind, carrot motivation will do you well.
But how do I go from where I am now, to where I want to be?
It’s important to keep mind that you may have already built a natural tendency to go towards one type of goal first. Many of us instinctively move away from pain first, then we can look ahead to the future vision of what we want our life to look like. There is no right or wrong way.
Inside your brain, you have built up thousands of neural pathways, making up entire networks of electrical synapses. These make up your habits. The brain’s job is to make these 
networks as efficient as possible. Anything you do repeatedly, it sticks on automation to make it easier for your body to keep repeating. This doesn’t just apply to your physical actions and habits; the same applies to your thoughts as well.
That’s right, we have around 70,000 thoughts per day and around 70% of those are automated thoughts that you think every day. So, when you decide to make a new change in your life, it goes something like this…
Brain – ” I’m going to start a healthy diet and lose this weight”
Body – ‘But I have created super-efficient neural pathways that leads us right back to the biscuit tin. I know they are important as we have been eating them repeatedly for years’
**Battle of willpower commences between mind and body.**
The mind wants one thing, the body wants something else…
So, how do you bring your mind and body together to break old habits that don’t serve you and create new more beneficial habits?
This is exactly what we help you to do over at Size HH.
You learn exactly how to access your subconscious and start inputting new thoughts that communicate straight to your body.
You see, if you try to just ‘think’ and expect your body to listen, it won’t. It is stronger than thought alone.
Have a listen to the latest podcast episode featuring Caroline Ferguson, Cognitive Behavioral Hypnotherapist, as we delve into the mechanics of creating happy, healthy habits that last.
If you enjoy it, please do subscribe to our new YouTube channel for more.