Can you see it now? How exactly does planning ahead nudge us
forward? Planning ahead, thinking ahead,
can mean the difference in meeting our goals and in how we recover from setbacks. Visualization.
Thinking ahead means taking the
present, looking at where we are, picturing where we want to be, and then using
that to plan the future. It only takes two steps to make a difference in how
far we can go. Thinking two steps
ahead means utilizing the present to
make it easier to achieve our goals in the future.
What time do you have to get up to
walk around the block? How about walk around the block twice? What do you need
to pack for lunch to avoid the fast food solution? What do you need to plan to
have on hand for when the afternoon (or mid-morning) “I have to have a snack
attack” hits? What do you have to do now
to prepare for when you most need to rely on your motivation, which might be
exactly when you are least likely to make that choice that will move you
forward?
First, take a few minutes to think about your actions. Take some
time to envision yourself reaching your personal long-term goal, whether it's
losing 50 pounds, competing in a triathlon or lowering your cholesterol. All of
these big goals can be broken down into specific behaviors that over
time will increase your health and wellness. Now, when you take it a step
further, each of these action steps requires another plan or mini-goal.
Achieving these goals is easier when you start thinking ahead and preparing
a process that fits into your schedule. And, we all have very different
schedules. When you spell-out exactly what you’re working on, it will be easier
to track progress toward your mini-goals and stay on course toward your larger
goal.
You’ll also need to prepare a Plan B. There will always be surprise hurdles, traps
and unplanned events that can waylay your best laid plans. You can either wait for
them to derail you or you can plan how to tackle them in advance. As soon as
you’ve identified your mini goals, the next thing to focus on is finding where
there’s room for flexibility. Having a Plan B in place before you need
it means you're thinking strategically and will be more likely to stay on
track.
You can be sure that the road to wellness
won’t always be smooth and straight. It’s definitely a corkscrew. This is why
it’s important to make friends with
failure. When you experience a succession of small setbacks or changes in
course, the bright spot is that it helps you hone your skills in dealing with those
issues that are outside of your control. And, that really is a big help on your
road to success.
We all fail. Sometimes we do it in
a big, public way, and sometimes it’s a private affair. But, if we’re smart,
determined and resourceful, we don’t let it stop us. This is what we mean by
treating setbacks as guides not brakes.
It’s not the failures that define who we are,
and when we use failure to move forward in a positive direction, they can
certainly nudge us into the person we want to be.
