Hey there. For a long time I thought positive thinking was the key to changing my life. I told myself that if I could just keep my mindset upbeat, everything else would fall into place. And while positivity does help, I’ve learned that real change comes from going beyond positive thinking. It’s about seeing challenges clearly, recognizing opportunities, looking for solutions, and then taking practical action.
Life will always have challenges. Pretending they don’t exist or trying to cover them with constant positivity doesn’t make them go away. What has made the difference for me is being honest about what the challenge is and facing it head on. When I acknowledge the problem, I can start to figure out what steps I need to take. That’s when the shift happens, because instead of wishing things were different, I’m working to make them different.
The same is true in fitness. Early on, I thought I just needed to tell myself “I can do this” over and over. But positive self-talk without action only goes so far. What really moved me forward was looking at the barriers in front of me and finding ways around them. If my schedule was packed, I had to figure out how to fit in shorter workouts. If my eating habits didn’t line up with my goals, I needed to look for adjustments that I could actually sustain.
I still believe in staying positive, but now I see it as one piece of the puzzle, not the whole thing. Positivity gives me the belief that something is possible. Action gives me the evidence. When I take steps forward, no matter how small, I create proof for myself that I can handle challenges. That builds confidence in a way that positive thinking alone never could.
The inside/out approach reminds me that it’s not about being blindly optimistic. It’s about being real with myself, noticing the lessons, and putting my energy into what I can control. That’s how I grow, not by forcing a smile through every situation, but by seeing the challenge, identifying the opportunity, creating a solution, and moving forward with practical steps.
If you’ve been stuck in the cycle of “just think positive” and feel like nothing is changing, I want you to know there’s more to it than that. You don’t need perfect circumstances or constant optimism. You need clarity, solutions, and consistent action. That’s where progress happens, in fitness and in life.
If you’re ready to take the next step and go beyond positive thinking, I invite you to join one of The YLF Experience. Together we’ll focus on building habits, developing solutions, and creating a path forward that actually works for you.