Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. — Winston Churchill
Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. — Buddha
Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune. — Walt Whitman
I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet. — Mahatma Gandhi
I am a little deaf, a little blind, a little impotent, and on top of this are two or three abominable infirmities, but nothing destroys my hope. — Voltaire

These are much more than just popular quotes. They speak to our inner thoughts, feelings, attitudes and beliefs. The fact is that no matter what happens around us or to us, we ultimately decide how we’re going to respond and feel.

Developing a winning attitude starts with belief. The belief that you’re going to lose weight. The belief that you can run a 10k. The belief that you will rehab an injured shoulder. There’s also the belief that you deserve to reach your health and fitness goals. Do you feel worthy? The answer is a resounding YES.

In my opinion, the best way to develop a winning attitude is to do things that will move you in the direction of your health and fitness goal(s). Like Yoda said “Do or do not.” Start by taking your eyes off the big goal(s) and give yourself smaller manageable goals that will move you in the right direction. Let’s say your goal is to lose 50 lbs in 6 months. That’s around 8 lbs a month right? Or 2 lbs a week? Now let’s focus on what you’re going to do not just this week but today. Go for your morning walk. Drink a glass of water with each meal. Show up to your training session. Lo and behold, at the end of the week you’ve dropped 2 lbs. Congratulations! Now do it again. Accumulate little wins and small successes. In our minds, these all begin to add up.

As the saying goes, success begets success. Ask any top athlete how they won a tournament, broke a school record, went undefeated all season and you will always hear them talk about belief. They believe they can win. And when they believe, they relax. When they relax, they have more fun. When they have more fun, they’re more willing to take risks. When they take more risks they increase their chances of winning. The more they win the greater their self-confidence and belief.

People often ask me how I stay in shape. My answer is that I make daily decisions to move in the direction of my goals. It all comes down to doing. And you do by deciding that you’re going to do.

Now that you have a winning attitude, you need to nurture it. Surround yourself with positive and like-minded people. Avoid the naysayer. Yes, a little criticism can reaffirm your attitude. But too much negative can possibly derail you. Just remember that your success is up to you. You have the tools. You have the attitude. Now go do it!