That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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| Me in November 2010 |
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| A little bit over a year ago, my weight was creeping up and I was having a crisis of faith in myself. I knew that I had lost weight before and I also knew that I had never kept it off. You can see on the graph below the climb upward. There were various reasons for the weight gain; stress, old habits of dealing with stress, old choices, the inner 2-year old in me that threw a tantrum every time I had to make a choice, doubt that I could succeed, doubt that even trying was worth it, and countless other reasons. There were numerous times that I thought I should just quit even trying to do anything. But each week I wrote about taking small steps and trying one small manageable action, just for that week. I persisted in trying.
"Trying" seems to have come into disfavor lately. There is this trend that comes down to "don't try, do!" But I am a firm believer in trying. Each time I try something new or try something I previously tried to do before, I build my ability to succeed. I used to think that I had the attention span of a gnat when it came to hobbies, skill building, jobs and life. I always thought that I didn't have the focus and persistence needed. I've now realized that I have persistence on a grander scale -- my life. I keep trying to learn how to live better (happier & healthier). I have persisted in trying to get my own dhucks in row, whether it was my organization, weight, career or life. I call that persistence. So now I am a firm believer that persistence is the key to my success. If you want something, don't give up. Keep trying. Be persistent. And give yourself a hug and a pat on the back for even showing up.
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I am proud of having lost over 86 pounds. But every day that I continue to try is a day that I make history, because this is the longest I've ever maintained a healthy weight as an adult. Persistence does pay off. My advice to you is -- keep trying.
I'm sharing my weight journey of the last 21 years to show that I've
definitely had my ups and downs. The graph below on the left is an
overview of my three weight loss attempts. The one on the right shows
the last 5 years in more detail. Click on a graph to enlarge.
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| This is my weight journey from December 1989 to November 2010 |
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| This is my weight journey from December 2005 to November 2010 |
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THANKS! to my readers
My Small Steps and Tips & Tricks readers may have thought I was writing for them, but really they were helping me persist. Thank you to all who read my newsletters and thank you to those who have written to say thanks or to let me know when a topic hit home for them. I appreciate your companionship on this journey.
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