The Target
I was in the doctor’s office for my annual 100,000-mile checkup not too long ago. Prognosis: pretty good, actually. I’m generally healthy, and everything still seems to be tickin’ along nicely.
Over by the wall stood this typical doctor’s scale. You’ve most likely seen ‘em, haven’t you? You stand on that plate at the bottom (wearing as little as possible so the danged thing doesn’t mistake that giant Rodeo buckle and ten-gallon hat for excess flab) and then you slide the little weights back and forth on the bars until it balances. Then you read the numbers inside the holes in the weights.
If you look closely in the photo, this one reads 195 pounds. The thing is, that’s not my actual weight. Alas, my current, um, gravitational quotient is a mite higher than that. (But for now let’s keep the actual number my little secret, ‘K?)
The Target
No, what this things shows is my target. See, for the last several months I’ve been on a (sound of terrified scream) diet. My goal is to get back to the weight I believe to be optimum for me – 195. Unfortunately, a few too many cookies, a little too much ice cream… well, let’s just say I’ve not been living the best lifestyle when it comes to food, y’know?
Anyway, Mrs. MZM and I mutually made the decision (hey, it’s true – although I believe the words, “or else” were in there somewhere) to get healthier. Yep; we started doing all the right things: watch what we eat, make sensible choices, exercise regularly – you know, all the things we know to do already, but somehow, well, don’t.
Generally speaking, it hasn’t been as hard as I thought it would be (although I must admit; I do miss pie!) In fact, I’m kinda lookin’ forward to the day I hit my “fightin’ weight” and regain my girlish figure. And to help me along, I keep that target weight in mind now, even when I have nothing but poor choices in front of me. That target colors everything I think about when it comes to food.
The bottom line is, I know the goal, and even better – I know how to reach it.
And that’s good, y’know? It means the ol’ little gray cells are finally cooperatin’, and it’s about time, too! Nowadays, it’s a heck of a lot easier to choose something grilled instead of fried, or something healthy instead of just sweet. All because of that target.
The Target is the Goal
Have you got a goal? How do you visualize it? Did you know a clear visualization can be and extremely powerful agent in change? I bet you did. Sooner or later, everyone comes to the realization that you can’t get anywhere without knowin’ where you’re goin’.
So what’s your goal? How do you visualize it (or them)? Some folks use vision boards, some write out a plan, some share it with others who can help them stay on the right track. What’s your best method of imagining a goal? Share with us what works for you, won’t you?
Maybe by sharing, you can help someone else who’s struggling – and wouldn’t that be great accomplishment!
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Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax...
good to read that everything is still working ok. Keep posting mate.
Hi Robert, Excellent questions – and glad to hear you are making progress with your diet. I’m on the diet train, too, and try to visualize what I will look like and feel like when I reach my goal. That seems to motivate more than anything else I’ve tried.
.-= Brad Shorr´s last blog ..Let’s Clear the Confusion about Blog Post Titles and Optimization =-.
My motivation comes from regularly weighing myself, I find that is good enough to keep me on the straight and narrow.
.-= mdoherty´s last blog ..Wedding Planners in Spain =-.
Hey why not share your weight with us and keep us posted, that outta motivate ya?
.-= Dr Harris´s last blog ..Top treadmills at low prices =-.
@Brad – Hey, thanks! And I’m with ya on the visualization thing. I’m picturing those smaller-sized pants I’m gonna need to buy. Sheesh, there’s a price to pay for everything, isn’t there? But then again, if I’d stayed my preferred wait… *sigh*
@marcus – Good for you, Bubba! I’ve tried not to weigh myself every day – it’s sorta like checking the stock market every day, y’know? But it’s nice to see the numbers on that downward trend, ain’t it?
@Dr. Harris – Well, I purposely didn’t so my particular, er, gravitational quotient would discourage someone who may have a mite futher to go than I do. But suffice it to say I’m VERY pleased with my results! Almost there, in fact. (“Almost” bein’ relative, of course.)
While I have a weight goal, I actually have gotten to the point of ignoring it. (Every time I blew it, which is often, I would argue that my failure should be smothered in whipped cream and butter. Much to self fulfilling.) Now my goals focus on the changes that will get me to the weight goal, mainly exercise.
.-= Fred H Schlegel´s last blog ..Kiwanis Peanut Day – Top Ten List =-.
Good luck. The trouble with using goals for weight loss is it doesn’t really retrain us to continue with the healthier lifestyle. I got control of my life years ago by finding things I loved more than eating. Then it’s not a diet to lose weight, it’s a diet to feel good so I have more joy in life. I also exercise regularly because I make it fun. I watch Netflix DVDs while bouncing on my jogging trampoline or using my NordicTrack treadmill. I don’t believe in sacrificing.
Again, good luck. Please let us know how it goes, especially after you reach your target weight.
.-= Jean Browman–Cheerful Monk´s last blog ..Their New Car =-.
What if my goal is finding out what I’d like to do in my life. It’s really hard to visualize that
Robert,
my goal is not so much to reduce my weight (it is quite o.k. the way it is) but to do something for my back. I know what to do–I am doing Yoga and it really helps. But the problem is: as soon as my back problems go away (and they did because of my yoga activities), I tend to neglect my yoga class. I did so for three weeks, and you might know what happened–back problems came back right away. And I am asking myself: Why do I need the pain to remind me to do what’s good for me?
.-= Ulla Hennig´s last blog ..The Chinese Garden =-.
I will be watching your blog with added interest now, because I am also trying to get to a goal # on the scale. Somehow it seems easier to increase the # of readers of a blog post or increase the # of comments than it is to lower the # on the scale.
Here’s my post about my secret weapon: http://brandandmarket.com/blogging-on-branding-and-marketing-from-a-treadmill-desk/
Good luck to you!!
.-= Chris Brown´s last blog ..Poll: Recession Over? What’s Happening to Your Business? =-.
@Fred – That sounds like a plan, Fred. If you can make the exercise interesting or fun to do, it’ll be much easier to follow through with than a goal of, say, “NOT eating that delicious bowl of ice cream”, y’know?
@Jean – I think I see your point, Jean, but still, aren’t goals necessary for milestones along the way to any accomplishment? Your solution to exercise is just what I suggested to Fred – make it fun and it’s no burden to keep doin’. The good news: after three months, I’m within’ spittin’ distance of my target! And in the meantime, I’ve learned a few new lifestyle things I’d like to keep on keepin’ on.
@Prevajanje – I can understand your difficulty with that one! I had the same problem when I was young (last week!). The main thing is to keep doin’ what you know to do until you find something you like better. It’ll come to you someday.
@Ulla – There’s nothing more aggravating than recurring back pain. Sounds like you need to make the Yoga more interesting or fun. It’s a better motivation than “if I don’t do it, my back will hurt”. Then it sounds like work. Find a way to enjoy your Yoga more and you’ll find it easier to keep it up.
@Chris – We’ve found it surprisingly easy to reduce our gravitational quotients via the South Beach Diet and exercise. The diet is reasonable, has plenty of good, healthy choices, and allows a splurge now and then when we’re out with friends or at an event. Weight loss has been slow and steady – the best kind. And the exercise is fun to do, so that makes it easy to keep doing it.
I like your treadmill/desk idea, but I’m so uncoordinated, I’d probably hurt myself trying it (I have trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time. *sigh*)
Shh…, Robert. I knew it’s a little bit embarrassing, but I can’t hardly read the typical doctor’s scale (If it’s a digital one, then it’s fine for me)…
Well, you can say I’m the old-fashioned person, as I wrote my goals/visions and glued it in front of my refrigerator! In this case, I’ll always keep my goals in my mind, every time I open up the refrigerator…
Hi Robert! Congrats on making healthy lifestyle changes! I’ve been down that road successfully and found that what worked for me there also works for every goal. I wrote a plan, where I mapped out short, medium, long term goals; tactics to achieve; known roadblocks and solutions and alternate strategies. I am very visual so I posted scriptures, pictures and a big calendar on the wall (where I put a big X every day I exercised) to help me track progress. I have a vision board in my office that I look at during the day to remind me of my goals and keep me motivated.
.-= Karen Swim´s last blog ..The Trend of Transparency =-.
@Wilson – Hey, that’s a great place to put ‘em, Bubba! After all, we only open it about 10,000 times a day, right?
@Karen – Yes, I remember you and Amy talking about vision boards. Might have to try that some day.
Ed, your questions just remind me of my imagination process as soon as i think about achieving a goal. The moment I start to think about doing something over a period of time, my mind automatically starts to have picturesque and glowing visuals about how i would be in that position, without even actually taking the first step in achieving the goal. I am just curious to know whether this feelings haunt me alone or quite common with others too.. and btw stay away from cookies, ice creams or whatever you think that would stop you in losing weight. All the best.
Regards,
Mack McMillan
.-= Mack McMillan´s last blog ..Commercial Real Estate Bubble =-.
@Mack – No, you’re the only one I know who says they’re haunted, Mack. Sorry ’bout that.
Sounds like you’re unusually good at vivid visualization, though. Not a bad technique; you can actually see your goals right there. And staying away from cookies, etc. has actually been far easier than I thought it would be, since I know where I’m goin’ with this one, y’know?
Oh, and the name’s Robert, not Ed.
Hello Sir Robert,
Your post is very motivating..What if I have a target or a goal but it is interrupted by the people surrounds me… Do you think I can still achieve that goal?
@Jocelyn – Well, I guess you have to ask yourself: Is the goal still worth achieving? Can it still be achieved? If the answer is still “yes”, then find another way!
That is a huge effort you are putting to get abck to shape. Well I am also experiencing the same thing. Cookies and chocolates are making me huge. Add to it my work that does not require me to flex a mussle. Now we know what we have in our hand.
What ever effort we put in our diet, we over compensate by eating more and more ice cream and cookies.
@Steve – Strangely enough, it hasn’t seemed all that hard now that I’m nearly there. The hardest part about it, in fact, is maintaining the new lifestyle.