276. Is THIS Sabotaging Your Wellness Progress?

Struggling to reach your wellness goals? You might be unknowingly sabotaging your progress.

In this episode, we uncover hidden habits that could be holding you back and share actionable tips to stay on track.

Small changes can make a big difference—let’s break through the barriers together!

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Resources From This Episode

>> Insulin Resistance Diet Blueprint - https://www.zivli.com/blueprint?el=podcast

>> Free Low Insulin Food Guide - https://www.zivli.com/ultimatefoodguide?el=podcast

>> Join the Zivli Program Waitlist - https://www.zivli.com/join?el=podcast

>> Test Your Insulin at Home - https://www.zivli.com/testing?el=podcast

Have a question? Email us at: support@zivli.com

Transcript

How do you expect to reach your goals and maintain your progress if you don't develop the persistence that it actually takes to change those habits?


Hi, I'm Dr. Morgan Nolte, founder of Zivli. As a geriatric physical therapist, I saw the heartbreaking effects of insulin resistance. At Zivli, our mission is to help you prevent and reverse insulin resistance for long-term weight loss and disease prevention through a low insulin and inflammation lifestyle. Each week on this podcast, you'll learn simple, actionable tips to lose weight, keep it off, and get healthy. If you're ready to create a body and life you love,

you're in the right place. Let's get started.


Hey there and welcome back to another episode of the Reshape Your Health podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Morgan Nolte, and today we're talking about one of the most important things you can focus your time and energy on in 2025 to reach your health goals. And this is one of the core values that we ask all of our Zivli members to adopt because it's that important. And this characteristic is persistence. Persistence is required to change your habits,

to live a low insulin and inflammation lifestyle, right? And changing your habits is required to reach any of the health goals that you have this year. If you wanna lose weight and keep it off, if you wanna lower your blood sugar, if you wanna be more consistent with your fitness or eat healthier, you're gonna have to change your habits. But how do you expect to reach your goals and maintain your progress if you don't develop the persistence that it actually takes

to change those habits, right? That is why it's a core value. That's why it's one of those zivli choices that we ask our members to adopt. Long-term change, which is what we're all about, requires a long-term mindset, and that requires persistence. And the good news is that persistence is a state of mind that you can practice and you can develop. And I'll tell you what, I have been practicing persistence.

for a long time and I can tell you that it is an area that I'm growing in. I'm certainly not perfect. I don't think anybody will ever be perfect and that's not a great goal to pursue. But this is kind of all part of having a growth mindset. When things don't go your way, when quote unquote life throws you off track, what are you gonna do about it? Are you just gonna go cry on your couch or cry in your bed or are you gonna...

As my mom would say, you're put your big girl panties on and deal with it and be persistent. So I'm gonna share some resources with you today that have really helped me over the years develop persistence, think accurately about persistence and understand the value of being a persistent person. And I hope today, especially if you're a new member or an existing member, because that's really who I make these podcasts for is to kind of deepen the relationship

Morgan (03:32.866)
with the members and give them more resources and more mindset tools to implement what we teach in our Zivli program. This is so important. And that is why I'm talking about this because we just started a new January cohort of members and sometimes overwhelm can kick in when you're getting kind of all this new information and you might be feeling like, there's so far I have to go to change my habits. There are so many new things that I'm learning. And I just want to encourage you.

to focus on being a person of persistence. Even if that persistence that you're focusing on right now is the very first habit, that morning mindset routine, setting your action items, being grateful, working on your mindset, that is what you should be focusing on being persistent with because the other habits will fall easier. So one of my favorite resources on persistence

is actually one of the chapters in the book, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. And this is an old book. It was written right after the Great Depression. It's chapter nine called Persistence. And the subtitle is The Sustained Effort Necessary to Induce Faith. The Sustained Effort Necessary to Induce Faith. And how many of you out there like have given up on your goals? Like this isn't possible for me.

I can't do this. It's too hard. I don't have what it takes. If you develop persistence, you won't have those limiting thoughts anymore. So focus on being a person of persistence. Now, this book is about money. However, all of the principles in this book can be directly applied to any goal that you're trying to reach. Think and grow healthy. Think and grow loving. Think and grow patient.

think and grow kind. It really starts with our thoughts and that's why I love this book so much. He essentially got to know a lot of very successful people and I would say kind of synthesized their most common characteristics that led to their success and then wrote a really, really good book about it. The first time I read this book was several years ago and I thought to myself after I finished like, whoa, mind blown.

Morgan (05:58.85)
Aside from the Bible if I never read another book again in my life I will probably be okay because I can reread this book over and over and over and over again because there is so much truth in it and there are so many nuggets of wisdom in it. So I wanted to just kind of review my favorite parts from chapter 9 persistence. I actually have the book with me. I did listen to it on audiobook and then it's one that I wanted to buy the hard copy of too.

So I'm just gonna go through this chapter and kind of read to you, highlight some of my favorite parts. And then I have a really good Bible verse I'm gonna share at the end as well on persistence that's spoken to my heart a lot, especially as of late for some reason. And I hope it speaks to yours as well. So one of my favorite quotes from this chapter is, a lack of persistence is one of the major causes of failure. And I personally like to say there's no failure after go.

once you make a decision and you move towards that goal, you're not failing, you're learning. But I really liked how he said that because so many people that I have met like have given up, I've tried everything, nothing works for me. And man, your health is so important. Your quality of life is so important and it's so directly impacted by your health. So I don't want you to give up on yourself. I don't want you to give up on your health. You can do this, but it does require persistence.

Another line that he says is there is no substitute for persistence. It cannot be supplanted by any other quality. Remember this in the beginning and it will hearten you when the going may seem difficult and slow. I love that one, especially thinking about new members going through the program for the first time. And I like to say our program is not a quick fix. It is a lifestyle overhaul, a mindset overhaul.

but that is exactly what's required if you want to maintain your results. So I'm going to read that one one more time just because it's so beautiful. Remember this in the beginning and it will hearten you when the going may seem difficult and slow. He gives some tips on how we can develop persistence in our life. And he says again, persistence is a state of mind so it can be cultivated. Like all states of mind, persistence is based upon definite causes, including the first is definite

Morgan (08:21.58)
definiteness of purpose. So knowing what you want is the first and most important step towards the development of persistence. A strong motive forces you to surmount many difficulties. There's a sign in my office that says keep your eye on your why your why has to be stronger than your why not. Okay. The second thing is desire.

We have to want it really bad. Whatever goal we're achieving, we have to really, really desire it and want it. The third is self-reliance. You have to be able to believe in yourself and carry out a realistic plan. You can't really rely on other people to do the work for you. The fourth is a definite plan. And that's really where our Zivli program comes in, is we give you that definite plan to live a low insulin and inflammation lifestyle. You can make your own plan.

and reinvent the wheel or piecemeal it together. But that's why I love our system is it gives you a very definite plan. The fifth one is accurate knowledge. I love that about our program too, because my goodness, it is very evidence based. And if you're trying to reach a goal like lowering your blood sugars or losing weight, but you're working from a wrong plan, it's kind of like trying to build a

a two story home with a one story floor plan. It's just not gonna work. So being sure that your plan is based on accurate knowledge will definitely help and you will see better results and it will be easier to be persistent because you're having kind of those little mini wins all the time. The next one is cooperation and he defines this as sympathy, understanding and harmonious cooperation with others tend to develop persistence.

When other people are invested in your goal and your success, when they are rooting for you, it's almost like a positive peer pressure that makes quitting harder. And I think that's another huge benefit of being inside of our Zivli membership is because you have coaches on your side, you have other members rooting for you, and you're not doing things in isolation anymore. Okay, the seventh one is willpower. And I like to say, motivation and willpower are...

Morgan (10:37.896)
of fleeting, right? We only have so much of it to use throughout the day and then we kind of get a new dose overnight. And really it's important to focus on how you're using your willpower. And he defines it as the habit of concentrating your thoughts upon building of plans for the attainment of the definite purpose that leads to persistence.

So I like to say, use your willpower to focus on the highest leverage habits, which again, in my opinion, the highest leverage habit you can have is a morning mindset routine that is very well structured so that you stay focused and accountable. Now the last suggestion that he gives to become more persistent is to make it a habit. So make persistence the habitual mindset that you choose, all right?

Everyone is gonna be tempted to quit. Everyone is gonna be tempted to negotiate down with yourself. Everyone is gonna be tempted to skip that morning mindset routine and sleep in or just get started with their day. Everyone's gonna be tempted to skip their workouts. But if we develop a habit of being persistent, we will become more persistent, but it has to be in our conscious awareness. We have to be focusing on being persistent and we have to identify

when we're not being persistent and be honest with ourselves and reflect on that. It's okay to like face your weaknesses, right? That's how we can develop them into strengths. So another section in this chapter that I really liked and wanted to share with you is symptoms of a lack of persistence. So if I want to help you develop a persistent conscious, like a consciousness and awareness of your level of persistence,

this is a super helpful checklist. It's also maybe it might feel like a little bit of tough love, but know that I'm giving myself this same tough love as I read through this list. And I'm not going to read all of them, but I'm going to read the majority of them that are applicable to health and wellness goals. So the first is a failure to recognize and clearly define exactly what you want. That's a symptom of a lack of persistence.

Morgan (13:00.468)
Another symptom is procrastination with or without cause, usually backed up with lot of alibis and excuses for why you're not being persistent. The next one is a lack of interest in acquiring specialized knowledge. So if you want to lower your blood sugar, you wanna lose weight, whatever your goal is, you're kind of not interested in learning more about that topic. The next one is indecision on all occasions.

instead of facing issues squarely. So a little bit kind of like procrastination, but you're just not making a decision. Sometimes I like to call this paralysis by analysis. The next symptom is the habit of relying upon alibis or excuses instead of creating definite plans for the solution of problems. We all have problems. We all have reasons to not do something.

but people who reach their goals face them head on and say, wow, this is an issue. I'm gonna make a plan to overcome it. And people who are not successful in their goals, they don't, unfortunately. So the next one is self-satisfaction. I like what he said about this. A symptom of a lack of persistence is self-satisfaction. He says, there is but little remedy for this affliction and no hope.

for those who suffer from it. So sometimes I think that we have this sense of self-satisfaction as almost like a mask of an unrecognized subconscious desire. So maybe you've ignored your desire to get healthy or to lose weight or whatever it is, but you'll have to pull yourself out of that self-satisfaction to get desire if you wanna develop persistence.

The next one is indifference, usually reflected in your readiness to compromise on all occasions rather than meet opposition and fight it. Next is the habit of blaming others for your mistakes and accepting unfavorable circumstances as being unavoidable. So diabetes runs in my family, so I'm destined to get it, right? No, you are not. You are not destined to have high blood sugars just because it runs in your family. The next one is a weakness of desire due to neglect.

Morgan (15:24.822)
in the choice of motives that impel action. So that one kind of goes back to self-satisfaction as a weakness of desire just because you haven't appropriately learned how to motivate yourself to change. The next one is willingness, even eagerness to quit at the first sign of defeat. Next is a lack of organized plans placed in writing where they may be analyzed. I love this writer too, Napoleon Hill, because he's so...

linear and he's so specific in his plans and that is that's kind of my jam. So I like that. The next one is the habit of neglecting to move on ideas or to grasp opportunity when it presents itself. That's interesting. It's a lot like procrastination or indifference or indecision. The next one is wishing instead of willing. Okay. I like to say a healthy lifestyle is not built by chance.

It's built by choice and it takes intentional daily effort. The next one is searching for all of the shortcuts and trying to just do it quickly instead of doing it right. I'm sure many people listening have tried so many diets and so many shortcuts and they know that it does not work in the long run. I really like this next one and this one spoke a lot to me when I first read the book and that's fear of criticism.

So a symptom of a lack of persistence is a fear of criticism. So a failure to create plans and put them into action because of what other people will think, do or say. Okay? So if you fear criticism from other people for pursuing a goal, that's actually a sign of a lack of persistence, which I thought was interesting. Just to summarize what he says in this chapter on how to develop persistence,

He says, there are four simple steps that lead to the habit of persistence. The good news is they call for no great amount of intelligence, not a lot of education and not a lot of effort, but they are necessary. The first is a definite purpose backed by a burning desire for its fulfillment. The second is a definite plan expressed in continuous action. The third one, and this is my personal favorite,

Morgan (17:48.274)
is a mind closed tightly against all negative and discouraging influences, including negative suggestions of relatives, friends, acquaintances, and I like to say even yourself. And the fourth step to develop persistence is to develop or form a friendly alliance with one or more persons who will encourage you to follow through with both plan and purpose. I loved that summary at the end of the chapter.

because it's a good reminder. And I think especially if you're a Zivli member, you can really see those threads tied throughout the program, especially in the mindset modules and in our system for success module that ties it all together. We really have a heavy emphasis on all four of those things so that you can be persistent in your pursuit towards your goals. All right, the last thing that I wanted to share with you that has encouraged me and my pursuit of being a persistent person,

is this verse, it's Romans 5, 3 through 5. And again, I just share my faith because it's authentic to me. If we don't share the same beliefs, that is okay. There is still a lot of wisdom and truth, even if you're not a Christian, that you can pull from what I'm sharing. And I always like to say our program is not faith-based. Like, it's not like I'm just sharing all these Bible verses and all these lessons. I'm absolutely not. But...

one of our other values is authenticity. So I cannot be authentic and ignore this side of myself when I'm talking about how I improve my mindset. So it's not a faith-based program, but as a faith-based person, I will often talk about how I do this to spur some ideas on how you can do this that's in line with your beliefs. All right, so here's the verse that I really like. Again, it's Romans chapter five, three through five.

We can rejoice too when we run into problems and trials, for we know they are good for us. They help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character on us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Then when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us.

Morgan (20:13.324)
And we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with this love. And so what I like to read that on a daily basis to myself to remind me that trials are for me, like things are happening for me, not to me, so that I get the opportunity to develop patience, to develop faith, to develop trust, to be a person of persistence.

But if life is just hunky-dory and easy and rainbows all the time, guess what? You don't get the opportunity to grow. I've shared this in the podcast before. One of my good friends, Megan, told me this story. I don't know the context behind it, but researchers were trying to essentially plant trees in a perfect environment. No wind, only sun, good soil. And they realized the trees were weak. They couldn't stand.

And that's because the wind never moved them. The wind is the challenges and the struggles and the temptations that we face in our life on a daily basis. And that helps our roots grow stronger. So we learn how to withstand and become persistent and be patient and be people of faith and determination because of the winds and the challenges in our life. So don't shy away from them.

Journal through them, don't shy away from them, don't let the anxiety overtake you. It's okay to have a bad day, but pick yourself right back up and be persistent. That is my tip for you today is if you're struggling with persistence, I would highly encourage you to journal on that and say, I'm noticing that I'm really inconsistent in this area and that I give up really easily in this area. I'm wondering why I'm not more persistent.

and just see what thoughts come up. That's a nice journal prompt for you for this week. All right, I will talk with you at the same time, same place next week. Bye for now.

Morgan (22:34.712)
Thanks for listening to the Reshape Your Health podcast today. To learn more about Zibli, our online course and coaching program to reverse insulin resistance for long-term weight loss and disease prevention, check out our website at www.zibli.com. That's z-i-v-l-i.com. And if you enjoyed today's episode, please leave a rating and review on your listening platform and share it with a friend.

I'll talk with you at the same time, same place next week. Bye for now.