Have you ever known what you needed to do to create the life and business of your dreams, but somehow you just never got around to doing what needed to be done?
After many failed diet attempts, I realized that I wasn’t going to lose weight unless I took a look at why I wanted to be slimmer. I wrote a “decision tree” of two things: all the reasons I wanted to lose weight, and all the reasons I didn’t want to lose weight. The results were startling…
Reasons To Go On a Diet and Lose Weight
- Less stress on heart, lungs
- Less stress on joints, decrease risk of getting Osteoarthritis
- Less stress on kidneys, intestines, stomach
- Lower risk of heart attack
- Lower risk of stroke
- Lower risk of cancer
- Look, feel better
- Fit into clothing comfortably
- Able to walk, hike, exercise without struggle
- Feel sexier, more confident
- Less foot, knee, hip pain
- Can go to the beach and enjoy myself without feeling like a cow
- Can find and buy better quality clothing; to feel good while trying on clothing
- Improved concentration, memory, balance
- More energy
- Aids in the production of antibodies
- To properly utilize fats, carbohydrates and proteins in my diet
- To relieve irritability
- Prevent excessive deposits of fat in the liver
- Less back pain
- To have space between my stomach and the tray on the airplane.
- To be able to wear shorts in the summer
- Reduce blood pressure
- To be able to buy underwear at Victoria’s Secret
- So I can cross my legs
- To feel strong and fit
Reasons to NOT Go On a Diet
- I don’t want to
I know…you’re saying the second list is too short. No, it’s not. No matter what excuse or limiting belief I wrote on the second list, I ended up crossing it out and returning to “I don’t want to do it.”
Harsh? Perhaps, a little. But I firmly believe if you want something badly enough, you will move Heaven and Earth to get it. You will clear your limiting beliefs. You will cast aside your reasons why you can’t do it, or can’t be it, or can’t have it. You will face your fears, face your personality quirks, and move forward anyway.
People are constantly asking me how I get so much done in my business, how I created such a successful business. The answer is simple: I wanted it strongly enough. Still do. Every day.
Want some inspiration along these lines? Read Berton Braley’s poem, Success. It’s the poem that Les Brown recites in nearly every one of his speeches.
As my grandma used to say, “Actions speak louder than words.” Saying you want something isn’t as powerful as taking action towards that goal.
So, what are your reasons for wanting a thriving, profitable business, and what are your reasons for NOT wanting it? I’d be interested to see if your second list is similar to mine.
P.S. I started Weight Watchers in January and have lost 16 pounds in 14 weeks. Guess I wanted to after all. 🙂
Karyn – I love it! A part of us knows we “should” do something and that doing it would be good for us….but we just don’t want to! And then from that realization, it becomes a conscious choice every day. I love your honesty!
Thanks, Susan! 🙂
Like yesterday for example: I knew I “should” get out and weed the garden, and usually I enjoy gardening. But I just didn’t want to do it yesterday. Once I “freed” myself from the idea that yesterday was the ideal day to garden, how good it would be for me, how nice the garden would look, etc., and focused on the truth, I gave myself permission to do what I did want to do: go clothes shopping.
I think the key is in taking full responsibility for your actions or inactions. Sure we have all kinds of reasons in our mind about why we don’t create the life or business we want, but if we truly wanted to have those things, we’d work darned hard on overcoming those reasons instead of dwelling on them. Perhaps we should spend more time asking ourselves, What outcome do you want?
“work darned hard on overcoming those reasons instead of dwelling on them” THAT is the key – what do we dwell on? limiting beliefs or how to overcome them? We can become immobilized by our thoughts a LOT quicker than by “fighting” what we think we should be doing. So yes, get to the WHY and tackle that (or let it go) and focus thoughts and energies on what we truly want.
I love reading your stuff! Always good reminders.
Glad you like it, Leslie! 🙂
OK, Karyn…way to make me hang my head….YOU ARE SO RIGHT!!! I ask myself this question over and over. Just gotta DO it!
BTW…congrats on WW success! That is extremely difficult and AWESOME!
I had heard an interesting take on the “just gotta do it” idea. The author said, “Don’t wait until you feel like it. You’ll NEVER feel like it. Just go ahead and commit to doing it. Then do it.” Why should our emotions be the only barometer of whether we do what’s good for our health, our relationships, our professional life, or our personal development?
Congratulations on your weight loss. It always comes down to what you are willing to do and the driving personal force behind will that will make you successful is wanting to do it.
Needing to do something only works when it is paired with the wanting.
The other day I wrote that it is my job to help expand will by making action steps fun and easy.