Maintain Your Gains
by Myrna King (with Mathew Waller)
In a recent discussion with Modern Shaman Mathew (Maty) Waller, we explored how to “lock in” positive changes that have been achieved. Maty is a shaman, and he primarily works with spiritual journeys. However, the following tips and his perspective apply to all positive goals you achieve and wherever in your life that you want to maintain your gains.
Maty uses the analogy of working out at a gym. If you have decided to incorporate lifting, cardio, and other workout regimens into your lifestyle, you have some goals in mind and are taking specific actions to achieve those goals. Nice!
The Decision
It always begins with a decision. In this example, it’s the decision to change your fitness level.
Maty advises that you connect the decision with a “Why” that will continue to provide motivation when you don’t want to work out but do it anyway! Your Why could be: to improve your dating life, to reduce the risk of heart attack, to reverse Type 2 Diabetes, etc.
Next, you select a gym, yoga or Pilates studio, a par course, or a walking path, and you choose your method(s) for regular exercise. Sign up. Schedule sessions. Put it in your calendar.
The Work
You design a workout system for each week. You determine your starting point: how much cardio, what kind of lifting and how much weight, how many studio sessions of Yoga or Pilates each week, and/or maybe some professional support from a personal trainer or teacher. Consistent action and attention to your weekly plan moves you along as you progress from “where you started” to your goal points. If you stick with it, you eventually achieve your fitness goals. Yay!
360 Degrees of Action
Remember, too, that all the action doesn’t happen in the gym or studio. The 360-degree vision of all your life components are interconnected – all contribute (or don’t) to your success. What else are you doing? You will often be changing and monitoring your food choices and increasing your daily water intake. Do you add supplements? Do you quit drinking? Part of your changes to achieve your fitness goal may include what you eat more of, such as whole foods or higher protein foods, and what you eat less of, like junk food or soda and alcohol.
It’s All You
You have realized that you can achieve your fitness goals and get some help. You can take practical steps and get it done. One key to note here: the gym or trainer or yoga teacher does not make your fitness possible – they just support you in making it possible. You are the driving force for making these changes. You drive to the gym. You pay the fees. You lift, run, and take classes.
You Did It!
Now that you have achieved your fitness goal! Let’s look at what happened along the way:
You decided to make the change in your fitness level
You connected to your Why – how does this change benefit you and is it worth it?
You joined a gym or a studio and made a schedule of workouts
You showed up consistently and did the work
You monitored your food and alcohol intake, maybe added supplements
You saw progress and kept going – big and small gains were both celebrated
You achieved your fitness goal
Now what?
To maintain changes in your lifestyle and continue your higher fitness level, your new goal is to maintain your gains! You will adapt your workouts to a regular routine to lock in your gains and stay fit. For some, this is more difficult than achieving the initial success!
You still go to the gym or studio
You stay connected to your Why
You enjoy the new added benefits of a goal achieved – you feel better, sleep better, look better and have less stress and anxiety
You continue to eat well, drink water, prioritize sleep, and value your fitness
Spiritual Gains Can Be Locked In Too
Using this exercise example, now let’s look at your spiritual journey. Just as you may decide that a physical fitness improvement would be worth the effort, you can choose spiritual goals worth seeking, such as:
More peace of mind
More harmonious relationships
Reconnection to family or loved ones
Emotional healing from tragedy or difficulty
A connection to your life purpose
A stronger connection to the Divine, your Higher Self or to God
Start Where You Are
One easy way to begin is to download a meditation or prayer app on your phone and schedule quiet time. Working with a coach, a spiritual healer, a minister, a guru, or other respected spiritual leader is akin to joining a gym and working with a trainer to design your workout plan – you design a spiritual plan or a peace-of-mind plan. Beginning where you are, you sort out a regimen to deliver your goals, like peace of mind or better connectedness to loved ones or the Divine. Your coach, teacher, or guide can’t do it for you, but they can get you started by teaching techniques and providing tools that you will regularly practice. They may provide spiritual healing in a specific area. Then your work begins!
These tools could be:
Meditation (many kinds – find one or more that fit for you)
Prayer, contemplation, and mindfulness
Read spiritual books and consider their teachings and how you might apply them today
Journaling
Affirmations
Manifestation
Energy work (Sedona Method, EFT, Reiki, BQH, and more)
Yoga, Tai Chi, and other body awareness programs to align energy centers
Ceremonies and rituals
Clearing and maintaining sacred space
You Are Your Best Guide
When you begin to achieve your goals, you then continue with regular maintenance. You can switch things up as you feel inclined, e.g. more meditation, less journaling, etc. As you find your best rhythm, you can check in with your coach, guide, or teacher to align your goals with your maintenance schedule.
Improvement Comes Over Time
Just as you don’t indulge in unhealthy foods on your fitness plan, you learn to decline toxic thoughts, self-condemnation, and junk food on your spiritual journey. You no longer accept unhealed wounds – you heal them. You no longer accept work situations or relationships that are not aligned with your highest good. Some of these are easy, some of them are difficult, and they are different for everyone. Stay with it and notice that improvement is possible!
Personal Responsibility
Maty encourages you to follow the 3 keys to personal responsibility from his shamanic teacher, Andrew Bartzis:
Courage
Commitment
Discipline
As you adopt personal responsibility for your spiritual journey, the daily practices at home will deliver results just like regular gym visits – your spiritual goals are within reach! Schedule time for them and maintain your peace of mind, happiness, and your sacred space.
Get help as needed! You can learn more about Myrna King and Mathew Waller at https://alifedesigned.org/about. Mathew can also be reached directly at https://newera.org.uk/.
