The Goal Behind Your Goal

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Getting frustrated at a lack of progress – or what people perceive is a lack of progress – is why so many quit trying to lose weight.

Actually, when you think it’s time to give up . . . that’s the time to think again . . . and to think about what the REAL goal is.

Is it to lose weight, or is it something far more meaningful?

You see, when most people start a diet, they set a particular number on the scale to shoot for or a particular pants or dress size for which they have a ton of clothes in the closet they haven’t been able to wear for years, and those are the numbers they shoot for.

Now, of course, setting a goal weight is great. In fact, it’s a terrific first step because it gives you something concrete to go after.

But you run into several problems when you define success only as a number, and one of the biggest problems is what happens to so many when they hit their goal weight: They stop doing what made them successful!

They give up on all the habits they’ve worked so hard to build.

Getting slim (and staying slim) isn’t a thirty-day challenge where you call it quits on Day 30. Real success is finding a way of eating (and exercising, if you like) that you’re happy with, that you’d encourage your children to follow, and can see yourself and them doing forever.

Because if it doesn’t, you’ll always be looking for a way out, for “it” to end, to move on to the next “new” diet.

Your motivation to stick with it has to come from always keeping the goal behind your goal top-of-mind. Think about what success actually is and what it means to you.

If you want to lose 25 pounds, that’s great, but isn’t real success changing how you feel and think about food? Isn’t it about changing how you react to certain situations and circumstances? Isn’t it about building habits that last? About feeling in control and confident? About having more energy, stamina, endurance, productivity? About all the health benefits?

Consider:

What if the goal isn’t to lose weight?

What if the goal is to change, and weight loss just happens to be a wonderful side effect?

When your goal is more than just a number on the scale, it doesn’t matter how fast or slow your progress feels because you know you’ll get there.

The path might be long, but the journey is short when you create habits that get you a little closer every day.

No matter what speed you’re moving, you’ll get there eventually when you focus on change.