We talked about comparing yourself to other people last time. Today I want to give you another way to think about the same phrase. You vs. you.

The past can educate you. The future can inspire and compel you. But you are only actually in this game today. The decisions you make today are what lead you to that future version of yourself, and those same decisions are informed by the former version of you.

There is real research behind this. Psychologist Hal Hershfield has spent years studying something called future self-continuity — the extent to which you feel genuinely connected to your future self, like she is actually you and not a distant stranger. His research found that people who feel a strong sense of connection to their future self make better long-term decisions, report better health outcomes, and are less likely to choose a small immediate reward over a bigger future one. The more real your future self feels, the better your choices become today.

In this episode I walk through how to let your future self compel you forward and let your former self coach you from behind, all while remembering you only get to actually play the game today.

What we cover:

• Hal Hershfield's research on future self-continuity and why it predicts better health outcomes
• Why your future self is not a fantasy but a real compelling force in your decisions today
• Why your former self is a coach, not a source of shame
• The one question to ask before every decision that honors both versions of you
  

Your tiny step from this episode:
Ask yourself this question before your next decision. What would future me thank me for right now? And what has former me already learned that applies to this exact moment?

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Connect with Leslie:
📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin
📧 Email: [email protected]
🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcasts

Keywords: future self continuity, Hal Hershfield research, long term decision making, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, delayed gratification, self improvement psychology, future self visualization

If you compare your journey to someone else's, it will always, ALWAYS get you off track. In one direction or the other.

In this episode I break down the real psychology behind comparison. Leon Festinger's Social Comparison Theory from 1954 shows we evaluate our own worth by comparing ourselves upward, to people doing better, or downward, to people doing worse. And research specifically on weight loss found that women with a stronger tendency toward upward comparison actually had LESS successful outcomes overall.

I walk through both directions of comparison and why each one sabotages you differently. Comparing up can spiral into a "whatever, I'll just eat the cookies" mentality when you're in a stuck mindset.

Comparing down gives you permission to stay stagnant because at least you're doing better than someone else. Either direction pulls your eyes off your own lane and onto someone else's journey entirely.

What we cover:

• Leon Festinger's Social Comparison Theory and what it reveals about self worth
• The research connecting upward comparison to less successful weight loss outcomes
• Why comparing up can either inspire you or completely derail you depending on your mindset
• Why comparing down feels like relief but actually keeps you stuck
• How to keep your eyes on your own lane and your own progress

Your tiny step from this episode:
The next time you catch yourself comparing up or comparing down, say this out loud. This is me versus me. And bring your eyes back to your own lane.

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Connect with Leslie:
📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin
📧 Email: [email protected]
🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcasts

Keywords: social comparison theory, comparing yourself to others, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, upward and downward comparison, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, weight loss motivation, Leon Festinger research, comparison and self esteem

Hear me out today, mama. Criticizing your body hurts you. But it also hurts your daughter. Curse your body, and she will look for flaws in her own.

In this episode I share the story of a client whose parents were morbidly obese, and how her fear of becoming like them pushed her to the opposite extreme — overexercising, overthinking every health decision, and sacrificing friendships in the process. And I talk about the equally real danger on the other side — the mom who is constantly critical of her body out loud, in front of her kids, without realizing her daughter is absorbing every word as her own future inner voice.

The daughter who hears her mom criticize her own body will do as you do, not as you say. Your outer voice becomes her inner voice. So this episode is a call to a both and. You have a responsibility to learn to love your body WHILE also being willing to work on learning and growing healthier.

What we cover:

• Why a mom's self talk about her own body becomes her daughter's internal script
• Two different extremes that can result from a mom's unresolved body image
• Why loving your body and working to improve your health are not opposites
• A pointer back to Leslie's gratitude episode as a practical starting place

Your tiny step from this episode:
The next time you catch a critical thought about your body forming, especially out loud, in front of your kids, pause. Choose a different sentence. She is always listening, even when you think she isn't.

Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comeback

Connect with Leslie:
📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin
📧 Email: [email protected]
🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcasts

Keywords: body image and daughters, self talk and motherhood, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, breaking generational body shame, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, modeling self love, raising confident daughters

You are more powerful than you realize. If you can talk yourself into eating something off your plan, compromising on your goals... you can talk yourself out of it too. You are just that powerful.

That expert negotiator in your head is so good at making the case for "just this once." It's a special occasion. You've had a hard day. You'll get back on track tomorrow. In this episode I show you that the exact same negotiating skill can work in the other direction — if you just give it the chance.

I walk through a real weekend scenario — a plan packed with healthy, protein-forward snacks, and the rationalization that creeps in and talks you right past it. And I show you how pausing for even thirty seconds lets that same brilliant brain argue FOR your goals instead of against them.

What we cover:

• Why the same mental skill that talks you into a compromise can talk you out of one
• A real weekend scenario of rationalization in action
• How to pause and let your inner negotiator argue the opposite case
• Why this is a skill you already have — you just need to aim it differently
  

Your tiny step from this episode:
The next time you feel yourself being talked into something off your plan, pause and ask your inner negotiator to argue the opposite case. Let it talk you back into your goals.

Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comeback

Connect with Leslie:
📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin
📧 Email: [email protected]
🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcasts

Keywords: rationalizing bad food choices, mindset for weight loss, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, self talk and willpower, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, weekend sabotage, negotiating with yourself, staying on track at parties

I cannot coach what I cannot see. Often when I am coaching someone and they are not getting results, I have to make the invisible visible. And one of the best ways to do that is by asking one simple question. Pretend you are a high performance coach looking at your own life. What would you say?

Because here is the truth. I am not in your real life. I don't see the moments you are standing in the pantry when you should be out for a walk. I don't know the nights you are lying in bed scrolling when you should be asleep. I don't know the times you should be connecting in community and instead you are isolating.

But you know. You know the nooks and crannies of your life, the stressors, what you are REALLY eating during the day, which scroll holes you disappear into, and exactly what you choose to avoid.

In this episode I walk you through the exercise I use with clients to make their own blind spots visible — and why you are the only one who can actually coach yourself through what you already know.

What we cover:

• Why Leslie says "I cannot coach what I cannot see"
• The exercise of imagining yourself as your own high performance coach
• Why you already have all the information you need to answer this
• What to ask yourself to stop and what to ask yourself to start
• Why you are the hero of your own story, and a coach is just the guide

Your tiny step from this episode:
Sit down for five minutes. Write down what you would tell yourself to stop doing, and what you would tell yourself to start doing. Then go do it.

Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comeback

Connect with Leslie:
📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin
📧 Email: [email protected]
🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcasts

Keywords: self coaching exercise, blind spots in health journey, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, accountability tools, coaching yourself, honest self reflection

I was interviewing a high performance coach. And as the interview went on, he started asking me questions, and I was giving him all the right answers. I knew what to do. I knew exactly how to get to the goals I had set. I was exhausted with the lack of progress, but I was feeling pretty confident. Like... I've got this. I probably don't even need the coach.

Then he asked me about Brendon Burchard's framework on the three kinds of lives people live — caged, comfortable, and charged. And he asked me which one I was living in. I realized, in a lot of areas of my life, I felt caged. Trapped by expectations. Tethered to where I was. Imprisoned by fear even though I knew exactly what to do to get free.

There was a pause. And he said something I have never forgotten. "Common knowledge is not always common practice. That is why you need a coach." I paused. And then I purchased the full program.

In this episode I unpack what that line taught me about the gap between knowing and doing — and why that gap is exactly where a coach lives.

What we cover:

• The interview that revealed Leslie was living caged in several areas of her life
• The line that made her realize knowledge alone was not enough
• The real difference between knowledge and practice
• Why coaches exist to close the gap between what you know and what you actually do
• How to get out of your own head and move knowledge into action
  

Your tiny step from this episode:
Ask yourself honestly — am I caged, comfortable, or charged right now? And if you already know exactly what to do but you are not doing it... that is your sign you might need more than knowledge. You might need a coach.

Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comeback

Connect with Leslie:
📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin
📧 Email: [email protected]
🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcasts

Keywords: why you need a coach, knowledge vs action, Brendon Burchard caged comfortable charged, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, accountability coaching, closing the knowledge gap

Life feels serious and hard when you constantly measure yourself with the measuring stick of Pinterest boards and little peeks at the slices of perceived perfection in other people's lives. It leads to heavy mom guilt. Crushing comparison.

But around here, we say shame OFF you. When the voices in your head have been saying shame ON you for all the different ways you feel like you have not been measuring up.

In this episode I want to help you be free of the shame that tells you there is something wrong with you. We talk about lifting the mental load of seeking perfection and rehashing failures, and getting rid of the weariness that comes from being tired of measuring up to a standard that was never real in the first place.

What we cover:

• Why the Pinterest board and highlight reel comparison is quietly wrecking your peace
• The difference between shame ON you and shame OFF you
• How to lift the mental load of perfectionism and rehashing old failures
• Releasing the weariness of constantly measuring up
  

Your tiny step from this episode:
The next time you catch yourself measuring up against someone else's highlight reel, say it out loud. Shame off me.

Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comeback

Connect with Leslie:
📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin
📧 Email: [email protected]
🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcasts

Keywords: shame and body image, mom guilt, comparison culture, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, releasing perfectionism, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, Pinterest perfection, self compassion for moms, faith and shame

Dieting in the dark. Not telling anyone what you're doing. That is a problem.

In this episode I make the case for living your health comeback out loud instead of hiding it. Tell a coworker. Tell a friend. Tell your Bible study girlies. Tell your family. They need to know you have a plan, that you are prioritizing your health and yourself, and that you want to be lean and strong for your longevity. Most people will cheer you on when you have a goal.

I also talk about why this matters even more given the culture we live in. We are in an obesogenic environment — it is truly an uphill battle to get healthy right now. Your friends and family need to know what you are doing so it is easier for them to support you as you move forward, instead of accidentally working against you.

And here is what usually happens when you share your healthy habits out loud. Other people contribute things that have helped them. You likely have friends quietly on the same journey who can now cheer you on instead of struggling in separate silence. And you very likely inspire someone you have been worried about — someone who needed to see it was possible.

What we cover:

• Why keeping your health journey secret works against you
• What to actually say when you tell someone what you're doing
• Why we live in an obesogenic culture and what that means for your comeback
• The three things that happen when you share your healthy habits out loud
• How sharing turns your private struggle into shared accountability
  

Your tiny step from this episode:
Tell one person what you are doing. Out loud. Today. Tell them you are prioritizing your health and you are thankful for their support.

Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comeback

Connect with Leslie:
📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin
📧 Email: [email protected]
🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcasts

Keywords: accountability and weight loss, sharing your health journey, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, obesogenic culture, healthy habits for women, community and accountability, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, telling people your goals, support system for weight loss

I was in a hotel room, overwhelmed, anxious about going downstairs to add more chaos to my already full life by walking into a conference I was there for. I could not get any traction with the anxiety. It just kept swirling.

And I felt the Lord ask me to do something simple. Sit down. Write down the five most pervasive thoughts circling my head and my heart.

The first thing I noticed shocked me. I was not thinking in complete sentences. I was thinking in one massive run-on sentence packed with unfinished thoughts crashing into each other. Writing them down forced me to finally finish them.

Then He said something that changed how I have handled overwhelm ever since. "Go one by one through these sentences, and ask me for wisdom." In this episode I walk you through exactly what happened next — one thought I had to fully surrender, one I was told to lay aside for tomorrow, one that just needed a quick action step, and one that required a decision I already knew but had been avoiding.

Overwhelm often is not actually five hard things. It is one tangled sentence made of five different things, none of which have been separated out or dealt with individually.

What we cover:

• The hotel room story and the moment God asked Leslie to write down her five most pervasive thoughts
• Why writing thoughts down reveals how tangled and unfinished they actually are
• Going one by one and asking God for wisdom on each specific thought
• The four different responses — surrender, lay aside, take quick action, or make the decision
• 1 Peter 5:7, Matthew 6:34, and James 1:5 and how they apply directly to overwhelm
  

Your tiny step from this episode:
Sit down. Write out the five most pervasive thoughts circling your head right now. Go one by one and ask God for wisdom on each one specifically.

Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comeback

Connect with Leslie:
📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin
📧 Email: [email protected]
🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcasts

Keywords: overwhelm and anxiety, prayer for anxiety, sorting your thoughts, faith and mental health, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, casting your cares, biblical anxiety relief, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, James 1:5 wisdom, 1 Peter 5:7, Christian mental health

The thoughts you think matter. Not the first thought that pops into your head uninvited — that one is not a big deal. It is the thoughts you allow to build a nest and live there. The ones you ruminate on. Those thoughts determine how you feel. Your feelings determine how you act. Your actions create your results. And your results become your habits.

Most people try to just change their behavior. But your thoughts are what is actually running the whole show underneath it.

In this episode I walk through what the Bible says about taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ, and how that lines up with something called the CBT triangle from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy — thoughts, feelings, and behaviors all continuously influencing each other in a loop. I give you a practical tool called auditing backwards, where you trace an unwanted result all the way back to the thought that started it. And I walk through the exact reflection questions to help you identify unhelpful thoughts and build new, healthier loops.

What we cover:

• Why your thoughts, not your behavior, are actually running the show
• Taking every thought captive and lining it up with what is true, noble, and right
• The CBT triangle — how thoughts, feelings, and actions continuously influence each other
• How to audit backwards from an unwanted result to the thought that triggered it
• Reflection questions to identify unhelpful thoughts and build new, empowering ones

Your tiny step from this episode:
The next time you notice a strong feeling, pause. Ask what thought came right before it. Write it down. Ask if it is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy. If it is not, choose a new one.

Grab your free Everyday Comeback Guide + join the newsletter: lesliebegin.myflodesk.com/comeback

Connect with Leslie:
📱 Instagram: @lesliebegin
📧 Email: [email protected]
🎙️ Subscribe to Dare to Begin wherever you listen to podcasts

Keywords: thoughts feelings behaviors, CBT triangle, taking thoughts captive, women's wellness podcast, health coach, everyday comeback, cognitive behavioral therapy, healthy mindset for women, Leslie Begin, dare to begin, comeback mindset, renewing your mind, Philippians 4:8, mindset transformation