From Current Habits to Desired Goals: A Strategic Approach
This is the chat I had on one of my 7 am weekday talks. It proved pretty popular. It got quite a bit of feedback so I thought I’d share it with you now in a blog.
Firstly, where do you want to be? Who do you want to be? In terms of our health, what weight, what size, and what shape would you like to be? Right, we figured that one out. Now, where are we right now? In comparison to where we would love to be, where are we?
We now, if you like, have two places on the map. One is where we want to be, the other is where we are right now. We can draw a line between these two places and call it the road. The road or route from one place to another. Those first two bits are quite easy I think. Now we have to get a little cleverer. What are the roadblocks that are in between us right now and where we want to be? What’s going to block our path? What’s getting in the way? Once we’ve identified our roadblocks, we are well on our way to our desired destination. However, we have to figure out a strategy for removing the roadblocks.
Can we do this on our own Or do we need a little help? Help can come from many places. Friends or family, of course. You have, as a GreggWallace.Health member, a wonderful resource in the Facebook group.
I’m just gonna run through the steps again. Where do you want to be? Where are you now? What’s getting in the way? Do you have a strategy to remove the blocks? Do you need some help?
Triggers:
What bad things do you do? If you can identify them you are halfway to solving them. For me, definitely booze. How about you? Is it a chocolate bar or biscuits on the sofa? Is it like me wine or beer? Is it when you go out with friends? Possibly it could be not being able to pass the bakers without grabbing a doughnut. Whatever it is, consider it now. What is your particular issue? What is standing between you and the beach body you want? Once we’ve identified it, we can now work on a strategy.
I keep a journal I add to it every day while I try to add to it every day. I’ve been reading through my journals. Six years ago, I had a real problem with alcohol, my journal is littered with hangover mornings, full of regret. As I move through these journals, so the problem decreases until today, I don’t have much of an issue at all. Possibly still a small Achilles heel. Hey, we’re all human. Work out your strategy. I did mine. I now only drink twice a week. I also really consider the effects of the alcohol as I’m drinking. I also try to consume the same volume of water with each drink. So one glass of wine followed by one glass of water, and so on.
Don’t think you are going to solve the problem overnight. That’s not what you’re attempting. That is going to fail. What reading these journals has taught me is things do get better over time as long as you are aware of it and you continue to work on a strategy. It will still go wrong occasionally, that’s for sure, but the point is even without you realising it, it’s becoming less and less of an issue.
It works, and this has always been the GreggWallace.Health way. Don’t radically change; slowly change. This will always have lasting results. I’m sitting here as proof.
Key Takeaways:
- Define Your Destination and Starting Point: Understanding where you are and where you want to be is crucial in mapping out your journey to better health.
- Identify and Overcome Roadblocks: Recognising what stands in your way allows you to develop strategies to overcome these challenges.
- Embrace Gradual Change: Small, consistent changes in behaviour lead to lasting improvements in health and well-being.
