Begin with the end in mind
Every New Year we set goals. Dreams about winning the lottery, hitting it big in the stock market and losing weight on a new diet are the typical thoughts.
Beginning with the end in mind is one of the functions of the brain. Brain experts sell lots of books about the imagination. Movies and amusement parks are in the “pretend like” business.
A little boy in the third grade in Wapakoneta, Ohio, told his teacher that someday he would walk on the moon. Do you remember Neil Armstrong?
In the early 1960s, Ohio State had a great golf team. They practiced a bunch and hung out after practice at the 19th hole. It was dark, but one player was still on the 18th hole pretending like he was putting. After he made the imaginary putt, he pretended like Arnold Palmer was helping him put on his green jacket at the Masters. Remember Jack Nicklaus?
I watched a bit of the Olympic Alpine events this year because one of the athletes is my “no pain, no gain” heroes. She has broken or bruised almost every bone in her body and has been written off as too old and too injured to try again. In an emotional interview she said, “Our family never gives up and I never give up.”
She was at the top of the course and moved her body as if she was on the run. She was pretending. She was beginning with the end in mind. She stopped, took a deep breath, leaned back, jammed those poles into the snow and down the slope she went. She got the Bronze medal. Lindsey Vonn is considered by many to be the best alpine skier of all time.
What does all of this have to do with health and wellness? Everything. Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to be healthier in the future than you are right now? Go to the biggest mirror you have and ask yourself this question: If I keep on drinking, eating, walking and sleeping like I am right now, where will I be this time next year? Answer the question only to the one in the mirror.
Now begin with the end in mind. One year from now, what do you want to weigh? Here is a hint. Let’s pretend like you weigh 225 pounds right now. Now, let’s pretend that you want to weigh 190 pounds
Here’s why the diets did not work. The diet sellers will say,” Lose 35 pounds on our great diet.” Then they flash a bunch of pictures of food, and probably the picture of some skinny gym rat or famous star that is not you.
Begin with the end in mind. See yourself at 190. What size pants or dress will you be wearing? How do you feel at you dream pretend like weight?
Never talk about losing weight ever again. Pick what you to weigh and SAY IT, DREAM IT and PRETEND IT. Then, JUST DO IT.
Be happy and healthy.
