I recommended this song at the bottom to a client today because she’s been through hell and back for several years now. But now the clouds have parted and the future is finally looking brighter.
Her situation made me think of how it’s not dissimilar to how military personnel get deployed to foreign lands, get accustomed to being away from home, doing what must be done while gone, living in survival mode, and then having to reacclimate to home life when they return.
Now that the clouds have parted should the better behavior instantly begin and be all nice and perfect and amazing on day one or day seven? No, not likely. Like someone returning home from a military deployment who’s been gone a long time it would make sense that a period of readjustment will be necessary.
Poor habits, survival only behaviors, just keeping your head above water actions are not likely to turn in one day to exceptional, exemplary and applause-generating. The poor behaviors have also become habit and these habits will need to be replaced with the habits from past periods when success was being achieved in the body-transformation arena.
So it’s important you recognize that a period of readjustment to “home life” is reasonable. Forgive yourself for not turning things on a dime to perfection. Be aware that some of what is keeping you doing “dumb” things day in and day out is simply habits you acquired trying to keep afloat, alive, from unplugging yourself entirely from this world.
Putting one foot in front of the other was the goal but now that things are looking so much brighter and hopeful you can, instead of looking down at the ground one foot in front of the other, you can look up, set your gaze a few feet in front of you to start with and begin re-implementing habits from the past that have worked for you when you were previously successful losing weight. You haven’t always sucked at this weight-loss adventure. You’ve at least had period when you’ve been successful even if you’ve never gotten to your ideal or held it as long as you’d like. This is all part of the re-acclimation process.
Some of this will happen overnight. Behaviors can change pretty quickly but emotionally give yourself a break if you aren’t FULL CIRCLE changed in a week.
Emotions lag behind action. Action first. Let the emotions catch up.
It may take a month or two or six but your behaviors CAN IMPROVE EVERY DAY – IN KAIZEN FASHION. Kaizen? Japanese term referring to small, incremental changes toward the better.
Ever been successful living a Leanness Lifestyle in the past? Begin thinking about what THAT person (you) would do today – just for today. THEN DO THAT.
What would the successful YOU do today? Do that. Just for today. Start with the NEXT RIGHT THING – and do that – right now.
As a man who works from a home office I oftentimes say to myself “What would a self-respecting businessman do today?” It helps. I don’t always do it. But it does help. I like to think of myself as a self-respecting businessman.
Re-acclimate, inch yourself forward, forgive yourself, get your eyes off the floor, look up toward your new future and go long. It’s brighter than you might imagine.
And hey, who says you can’t go home? Not me, I know you can.
Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abzbVFuxigg
Your Coach
David
Leanness Lifestyle University
