I love the smell of sweat 😉 .

(and why you should too)

I walked into the gym for the first time after years away from it.

My body was different, after having 2 kids, 18 months apart.
My energy was different, sleep was no longer predictable.
My confidence was different, I didn’t feel like myself.
My posture was different, shifted from pregnancy and carrying toddlers, slouching from feeding and lifting and changing.

A Journey of Mindset Transformation

But when I walked into the gym I recognized something that I had created in my mind, unknowingly, years before.

A feeling of being part of something.
A promise of getting strong.
The accomplishment of working hard.
A community of others alongside you.
Motivation to continue.

The years of exercising came back to me. My brain had internalized those feelings, what the gym represented to me.

And while I don’t *actually* love the smell of sweat 😜, I told myself that I did. Because the sweaty smell of the gym was a reminder of what I once felt, and wanted to feel again. It was familiar in a positive and encouraging way.

The Role of Positive Associations

We often talk about creating habits through time and schedules.

We need to talk more about creating habits through reframing the way we think of things, retraining the brain’s associations, connecting our present self with a past or future identity.

Identifying Your Catalyst for Change

❔ What’s your “sweat smell” equivalent? What seemingly small thing carries a deeper meaning or motivation for you?

For a deeper dive, check out these podcast episodes:

How to REALLY create a habit

The Labels We Give Ourselves And Why They Matter

An ‘Above Average’ Approach To Life