Hi , friends and welcome back to Change Wired podcast , the podcast where we untangle growth , one smart habit and bold idea at a time . My name is Angela Shurina . I'm a transformation leadership coach and consultant , executive coach 360 , human behavior strategist and designer , and around here we are all about making change actually work . Whether you are leading a team , changing your careers or simply trying to live a better world , moving in a world moving fast , this is your space to slow down , get clear and wire your life for what matters . Let's dive in Today , guys . I'm super pumped about today's episode because it's very human and it will show you how healthy habits or working on your goals consistently work goals , personal goals , professional goals , goals consistently work goals , personal goals , professional goals . It's not about discipline and how your brain is actually such a magical machine . Then , when you know how to trigger it , how to wire or prompt it for the right kind of thinking , the rest , what you think requires willpower and discipline will actually flow quite naturally . And no , the hard thing it's still going to feel hard , but you're not going to struggle with doing it , believe it or not , but you can do the hard thing and enjoy it at the same time .
So today , let me share with you a post that I've just written . Did you know that I have a daily blog called Daily Thought for Change , where I literally daily write about the process of change , the stories of change , the best tools , what I learned from my clients and what we master with my clients in coaching ? So today I wrote about how I use questions Okay to eat insanely healthy and stay ripped , fitness magazine cover ready 365 days a year and at the same time , have a hot chocolate or some form of chocolate every day . I want to tell you a story and I hope it will empower you to see that all of this . It will empower you to see that all of this , I do this and I'm able to do that , not because I'm some superhuman or I don't have cravings or I for some reason not drawn towards all the pleasures of life . Quite the opposite , actually . So most mornings I start with a chocolate-flavored coffee , just black coffee with intense smell of chocolate , with vanilla-flavored almond milk , no sugar , but I love my chocolate and vanilla flavors . Most dinners , I finish with a sugar-free hot chocolate . It's sweet , comforting and ticks all the boxes without tracking my health and fitness goals . Guys , if I followed my cravings like what I would naturally want to do to eat
every day . I'd be probably 20-30 kilos heavier , dealing with some blood sugar issues and who knows what else .
Speaker 1I often joke that I inherited my dad's sweet tooth . He could down a can of condensed , sweetened condensed milk . If you've ever tried that , you know how sweet that is Like a whole can . He could just finish it in one sip and I could beat him On .
Speaker 1One of my birthday's true stories was my early 20s and I asked everyone my birthdays true stories was my early 20s and I asked everyone my parents , my friends , whoever was there at my birthday party to not give me gifts but instead bring me some really good chocolate . And so I ended up with , I think , two or three kilos of it and I ate more than a kilo in that day . I ate nothing else and I didn't feel sick and I didn't even feel that sweet . The next day I was ready to eat more chocolate again . I have a huge sweet tooth . That's all I'm saying . I'm not some superhuman who never craves sweet or don't have a taste for them . Quite the opposite . You know , some people say like I don't really like sweets for them Quite the opposite . Some people say I don't really like sweets Naturally not my case . So how do I these days end up eating zero added sugars , no candy , no cake , and stay photoshoot already 365 days a year ? How do I do that ? Did I train my willpower and discipline to that degree ? Actually , I didn't use any of my willpower . Well , maybe a tiny bit , but I got really , really good at asking the right questions at the right time .
Speaker 1So whenever I crave something let's say it's evening and I'm tired and I still have to do work or studies and I've , you know , eaten all the proteins and veggies , et cetera , and I just feel like I want something sweeter , I want I don't know a piece of chocolate , a piece of candy or cookie . So what do I do those times ? I ask myself questions . I ask myself Angela , how do you want to feel like tomorrow morning when you wake up 4.30 in the morning ? And I'm a morning person I'm not , again , not everyone should wake up at 4.30 , but I'm a morning person . I enjoy waking up early and I enjoy waking up full of energy and enthusiasm and motivation and I'm like I'm ready to conquer the world and I'll tell you if I finish my day with some chocolate and cookies . That's not gonna happen , that's not how I'm gonna wake up , that's not the energy , not even sleep quality that I'm gonna have .
Speaker 1So I ask myself this question because I know it works for me how do you , angela , how do you want to feel like tomorrow morning ? And , by the way , using a third , telling yourself , asking yourself , calling yourself Angela , your name or you , it works a lot better . It works a lot better . We listen to advice when we talk to ourselves in third person or you , a lot better than if we just say it without any name or not pointing towards ourselves , right ? So how do you want to feel like tomorrow morning , angela ? I guess I imagine that I have this coach on my shoulder . You know angel and devil , so I have a coach on one of my shoulder and on the other I don't know some weak link , but my coach asked me how do you want to feel tomorrow morning , angela ?
Speaker 1Then I also ask how do you want to look and feel in a week , in a month , in a year , doing all these workshops , speaking on stage , being in pictures , being recorded ? You know , like when you get your picture or a video and you look at yourself and like , oh , look , not that good , or maybe I wasn't going through my best time there , or when you get those like , ah , I look freaking sharp , let me get on stage again , right ? So doing these workshops and speaking on stage , being in pictures being recorded , how do you want to feel and look ? What kind of energy do you want to bring , and will chocolate and cookies get you there ? So I ask myself these questions and every time , I then end up cooking lots of veggies and protein , which I also love . I cook really well that's what I've been hearing from people . I use spices and herbs and fresh ingredients , right . So I end up cooking lots of that , and I finish my evening very often with a piece of sugar-free chocolate or hot chocolate drink , and on the market today , guys , you can find all kinds of sugar-free stuff . You gotta know your ingredients , but it's all available and you can have your chocolate daily and have all the energy and great sleep and contribute to health and fitness goals every day .
Speaker 1Now , yesterday I had a coaching session and with this executive , we are working on his health and fitness
and energy . He is about to become a new dad and so he also wants to inspire his kids and he wants to be an inspiration to people he works with . He wants to be a great leader . He wants to inspire , to motivate , and it's hard to motivate and inspire when you don't feel like you inspire and motivate yourself . So we're working with him on his health and fitness , vitality , strengths , habits . So we're working with him on his health and fitness , vitality , strengths , habits .
Speaker 1And at the end of our session yesterday I asked him here's a bonus assignment this week every morning , can you set up an alarm with a question , one simple question how can I invest in my strongest self today , just every morning , when you see that alarm and you see that question , just ask yourself and really think about that . How can I invest in my strongest self today ? And , guys , when you do that , every morning and mornings are special times for your brain . Whatever your brain , whatever you expose your brain to in the morning , first thing , that's what's going to set the tone for the day . And you can also use it with other people . If you want people to focus on certain things , ask them questions . So I can guarantee you guys , there will be more exercise and better eating , even when I don't say a word about it . Exercise and better eating even when I don't say a word about it , by just asking yourself this question . And don't forget , I didn't just say just think about that . I asked to set up an alarm . There is a trigger , a reminder how can I invest in my strongest self today ? And , guys , I guarantee you that there will be more exercise , better eating , better habits , even when I don't say another word .
Speaker 1And so my question to you is are you good at asking yourself questions that move you and others ? When you lead others to their dreams , their goals , their better future , are you asking yourself the right questions ? Are you asking yourself the right questions ? And that's my invitation to you to start learning how to ask yourself questions , especially in the morning or at the key moments of choice , like me , every time I crave a sweet or a chocolate late at night , asking yourself is this really where you want to go ? Is this going to make you feel tomorrow morning the way you want to feel ? Is it going to make your future self proud , angela , is it ? And if not , what will ? Just ask yourself these questions , whatever questions , work for you
and see what's going to happen to your habits .
Speaker 1I hope this helps , guys . We are here about change , about improving and growing ourselves . But , most importantly , we're here also to start learning about ourselves , who we are , what we want to do in the world , how we want to show up in the world , and learning how to find our own answers . And to find our own answers , we got to learn how to ask better questions . As simple as that Questions . The quality of your questions is the quality of your life . Tony Robbins said it , and there are many other quotes of the greats who talk about the same idea the questions you ask yourself will pivot and direct your life . So are you good at asking yourself the questions that lead you where you want to go ? Hope this was helpful .
Speaker 1Guys , don't forget to share review rate to help me to deliver this podcast to more
ears , to more everyday superheroes , so together we could unlock more human potential and create the most amazing world , living the most fulfilling life . So please do review , share and , especially if you know the person who might need it , who might love it , with whom you might practice what you are learning here , so please do share . Stay tuned for next wellness and health and fitness episode , even though this was a handful as well . Also , stay tuned for more episodes on systems for success , growth and change to make what you want to do easy to do and also be as productive meaningfully productive as you possibly can be . So stay tuned for that . We are releasing our first guest episode in our new series and this series the name of the series you're going to find out this weekend . So stay tuned for that as well , and until next time , ask better questions .