Nothing worth having is easy. But it's worth it.
Goals. So apparently they don't happen overnight? Who knew?
I've had this goal of getting healthy and losing weight for some time now. Actually, I don't really remember ever not having that as a goal. And yet, today I am 26 and the at the heaviest weight I have ever been. I find that statement incredibly sad and depressing. However I am not surprised.
I have tried more diets than I care to remember, I have had multiple gym memberships over the years, and I have even tried doctor supervised weight loss which included appetite suppressants and B12 shots. Nothing has worked long term. Why not? That's what I am trying to figure out, but an article I read tonight suggests that I am where I am today because I don't actually want to lose weight. Well that's silly, of course I want to lose weight. My actions prove otherwise. Basically what this guy says in this article is that if you really want something you go and do it. Someone who says, "I want to start a business but have no idea where to start," probably doesn't really want it as much as they like the idea of it. The person who really wants to start a business is actually out there doing what it takes to start that business. (I am making a generalization here but you get the point.) In the same way, I can tell you till I am blue in the face that I want to be healthy and thinner, but if I really wanted it I would be out there doing what it takes to be get healthy.
So where does that leave me? I guess I need to really evaluate what I truly want, and then make it happen. Sitting on the couch waiting for life to happen to me isn't going to effect change. If I want change I have to go after it. This goes for all areas in my life. More than just in the area of health and weight loss I have been incredibly antsy lately to do something different with my life. I can be quite the dreamer but am often left dissatisfied because the drive to go after those dreams isn't something that comes naturally to me. I value change. I value living a life that matters and makes a difference in the world around me. That being said, I don't always live out my values. Being goal oriented has typically been a more vague ideology to me than something I put into practice on a regular basis. Maybe that's why I feel so antsy. I have said similar things in previous posts, but self-discipline really does bring about freedom. We get so caught up in the idea of being free that we cease to place any boundaries around ourselves at all. This might be fun for a bit but it inevitably leads to chaos. I am seeing this in my own life far too frequently. I don't like it.
So why did I bother to write all this down? Maybe I am just thinking out loud.. I'm not sure. However, I really do want some things in my life to change, so I guess I need to get to work on some of these goals. I hesitate to make any grande statements about how things are going to magically be different after this because that doesn't seem realistic to me nor is it helpful. At the heart of it is change in my outlook. In another article by the same guy he suggests you write down everything you did that day. He then says to write down 5 things that are the most important to you. At the end he says that the things you spend your time on are what you actually value, not the 5 things you wrote on your 2nd list. This may be a bit generalized, and I don't completely agree with all of what he says, but the point is, you value what you spend your time on. So if I really want to be healthy, I will take steps every day to be healthy. If I really want change in my life I will take steps every day to create that change. The question is, how badly do I want it?
Here are links to the 2 articles I mentioned. The language is colorful but it gets the point across. Please know that I don't agree with everything in these articles but I still find them very helpful and I appreciate how honest and blunt this guy is on this topic. It was definitely something I needed to hear and it's giving me some food for thought. I hope it does for you as well.
http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-ways-youre-sabotaging-your-own-life-without-knowing-it/
http://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/the-60-second-guide-to-bullshit-free-life/
I've had this goal of getting healthy and losing weight for some time now. Actually, I don't really remember ever not having that as a goal. And yet, today I am 26 and the at the heaviest weight I have ever been. I find that statement incredibly sad and depressing. However I am not surprised.
I have tried more diets than I care to remember, I have had multiple gym memberships over the years, and I have even tried doctor supervised weight loss which included appetite suppressants and B12 shots. Nothing has worked long term. Why not? That's what I am trying to figure out, but an article I read tonight suggests that I am where I am today because I don't actually want to lose weight. Well that's silly, of course I want to lose weight. My actions prove otherwise. Basically what this guy says in this article is that if you really want something you go and do it. Someone who says, "I want to start a business but have no idea where to start," probably doesn't really want it as much as they like the idea of it. The person who really wants to start a business is actually out there doing what it takes to start that business. (I am making a generalization here but you get the point.) In the same way, I can tell you till I am blue in the face that I want to be healthy and thinner, but if I really wanted it I would be out there doing what it takes to be get healthy.
So where does that leave me? I guess I need to really evaluate what I truly want, and then make it happen. Sitting on the couch waiting for life to happen to me isn't going to effect change. If I want change I have to go after it. This goes for all areas in my life. More than just in the area of health and weight loss I have been incredibly antsy lately to do something different with my life. I can be quite the dreamer but am often left dissatisfied because the drive to go after those dreams isn't something that comes naturally to me. I value change. I value living a life that matters and makes a difference in the world around me. That being said, I don't always live out my values. Being goal oriented has typically been a more vague ideology to me than something I put into practice on a regular basis. Maybe that's why I feel so antsy. I have said similar things in previous posts, but self-discipline really does bring about freedom. We get so caught up in the idea of being free that we cease to place any boundaries around ourselves at all. This might be fun for a bit but it inevitably leads to chaos. I am seeing this in my own life far too frequently. I don't like it.
So why did I bother to write all this down? Maybe I am just thinking out loud.. I'm not sure. However, I really do want some things in my life to change, so I guess I need to get to work on some of these goals. I hesitate to make any grande statements about how things are going to magically be different after this because that doesn't seem realistic to me nor is it helpful. At the heart of it is change in my outlook. In another article by the same guy he suggests you write down everything you did that day. He then says to write down 5 things that are the most important to you. At the end he says that the things you spend your time on are what you actually value, not the 5 things you wrote on your 2nd list. This may be a bit generalized, and I don't completely agree with all of what he says, but the point is, you value what you spend your time on. So if I really want to be healthy, I will take steps every day to be healthy. If I really want change in my life I will take steps every day to create that change. The question is, how badly do I want it?
Here are links to the 2 articles I mentioned. The language is colorful but it gets the point across. Please know that I don't agree with everything in these articles but I still find them very helpful and I appreciate how honest and blunt this guy is on this topic. It was definitely something I needed to hear and it's giving me some food for thought. I hope it does for you as well.
http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-ways-youre-sabotaging-your-own-life-without-knowing-it/
http://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/the-60-second-guide-to-bullshit-free-life/
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