This post is dedicated to a patient of mine who doesn’t trust her success. I’ll call her Mrs A. because I think her life story is full of Adventure.
Mrs A. has been working hard to make some lifestyle changes. She has faithfully followed a healthy eating plan and exercise routine for 3 weeks now. In my opinion, this is a great success given her long history of an unhealthy lifestyle.
She doesn’t yet view this as success because she can’t see any measurable results… yet. (Specifically, she is looking for weight loss.) However, consistency is measurable, where the unit of measurement is time. And she has already invested in 21 days straight of healthy living! Success.
Success doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve achieved your goal yet. At a minimum, it means you’re still doing everything you need to do in order to get there.
Mrs A’s challenge is that she doesn’t trust she could keep up with her healthy lifestyle long enough to see results. Like most people these days, she wants instant results.
However, worthy goals are earned. So inevitably, the road is long. On long journeys, the ability to perceive daily successes – instead of constantly focusing on the ultimate goal – is what ensures overall success.
Mrs A, I look forward to seeing you next week and to hearing about your extra 7 days of success!
Carl is a former engineer who applies rational thought to the often subjective nature of traditional healing. He practices acupuncture in San Diego, CA.