A little while back, a friend of mine asked me why she keeps failing at things she genuinely wants to succeed at.

I don’t blame her for being concerned, either.

People are trying harder and harder to change their eating, for example, yet seeing the same outcomes repeat.

But here’s the thing…

All the “effort” isn’t necessarily the problem.

The problem is usually what you’ve accepted as normal for yourself and how that directs your choices.

Let me explain what I mean:

For a while now, I’ve been trying to follow a very simple routine I want to improve.

Only problem is, I still believed I wouldn’t sustain it.

This happened a few times early on.

The first time I tried to fix it with more discipline.

The second time (a couple weeks later) I adjusted my routines and tried again.

The third time (just a few days later) it happened again and I found myself back at the starting point.

This time was actually frustrating, because I had invested effort and expected progress.

Luckily, there was a different way of seeing it that day.

And before I tried another tactic, I realized something important.

“You’re kidding me, right?” I thought.

“And if you really want this to change,” I understood, “you’ll have to change what you consider normal for you.”

Long story short:

I stopped forcing behavior and began adjusting what I expected from myself instead.

Now, here’s what’s important about this for you:

When I stopped blaming effort, I was actually surprised I hadn’t questioned what I assumed was realistic for me.

If I had changed what I believed was normal earlier, I wouldn’t have repeated the same failure.

And that’s the point.

Are you trying to override your eating habits without changing what you believe is realistic for you?

Changes that make clean eating feel natural instead of forced?

Shifts that determine results long before you notice them?

If not, then you should expect the same outcome to repeat.

Because your eating will follow what you believe is normal for you.

On the other hand…

If you simply examine what you’ve accepted as your default…

You’re not fighting yourself.

Chances are your eating starts to align without strain.

If you don’t believe me, think about times when eating well felt natural.

Don’t you notice how ease appears when your expectations and actions match?

I know I do.

I can’t help but think changing what I considered normal did more than any strict rule ever did.

And if you simply correct what you accept as true about yourself…

Results will follow without force.

​Raw Food Secrets​

Irina Valeva