When the pandemic first began, I had a difficult time adjusting to all the changes happening at once. As soon as my husband started working from home, we overindulged in our eating which resulted in unwanted weight gain. By the end of March, I reached my heaviest weight.
Eventually, I came to the conclusion that I had to do something. But, I was feeling unmotivated. I've always had an ideal weight goal in mind but was never able to reach it. So, instead of using the number as my means of motivation, I decided to try a different, more powerful strategy. Based on past experience, my ideal weight number wasn't really an effective tool to drive weight loss because it wasn't bringing me any closer to my goal.
I needed to try something different.
So instead of being attached to a number, I decided to take a different route.
So instead of being attached to a number, I decided to take a different route.
The year prior, I visited a thrift store and stumbled upon a vintage pair of Levi's jeans for a decent price. Only one problem....they were too small. Faced with the decision of having to walk away from this amazing find or buying them in hopes of eventually losing weight,.
I decided to take the chance.
When I got home and tried them on, the jeans barely fit over my hips. Although I was discouraged, I decided to use these jeans as a new source of motivation that would fuel my action. Over the course of time, I implemented a few, fairly simple strategies that would positively affect my weight. Like, in the mornings, I started my day with a cup of unsweetened green tea. That, paired with morning walks really helped kick things off.
But what really contributed to my weight loss was knowing that the ultimate mission was to fit comfortably in those Levis jeans. They became a physical representation of my ultimate goal. Without realizing it, I turned those jeans into a living vision board of sorts. Every so often, I'd attempt to try them on to determine my progress. And, each time I tried them on, I had a clear image of where I stood versus where I wanted to be. If I saw no progress in how they fit, I'd add a new activity to help fuel my weight loss.
Finally, after months and months, I was able to slide those jeans on and zip them up comfortably. It was a dream come true....a real-life manifestation. Reaching that milestone was awesome but then I realized that there's a lesson from this experience. Having a visual/physical representation of my goals helped make things very real.
BETTER THAN A VISION BOARD.
Those jeans represented a vision of where I wanted to be and it became more powerful than any vision board that I've ever created. Fun fact, I have a picture of a woman with a flat stomach in a similar pair of jeans on my vision board, but it never really moved me into action like these jeans have.
So then I'm like....."how can I apply this process to the rest of my goals?"
Instead of simply saying to myself "I'd like to earn a certain amount of income," I put some thought into how I can create a real-life representation of exactly what my financial goals will look like if achieved.
I'm thinking about creating a photoshopped image of my actual bank account featuring my ideal bank balance. Why? Because, like the pair of jeans, I can compare the ideal result with reality. Then, one step at a time, I can work my way towards the intended result.
If I wanted to write a book, I'd probably start by paying for the cover image as a real-life representation of the finished product. Then, I'd work consistently until the book is completed. If I wanted to find my ideal soulmate, I'd probably take myself out on dates to places I'd like to experience with someone special. I might also invite a friend with me so I can experience those places with someone I enjoy being around. These are just a few random ideas, you can certainly come up with examples that work better for you. Basically, your job is to come up with creative ways to bring your vision before in a very real way that keeps you consistently moving forward.
The key is to find something real and tangible that will spark your motivation and will keep you going. I knew I wasn't going to stop until I fit into those jeans... and that's what made this process work so well.
It's time to stop relying solely on verbal goals or cut and paste images on vision boards. Especially if those techniques haven't worked all that well for you before. It's time to get real. Let's utilize reality to create reality. This is the ultimate example of lifestyle design at its finest.
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