Eating the Elephant
I’m sure you’ve heard the question, “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer: “One bite at a time!”
Paula and I took off last week to try to organize a couple areas of our house. I thought we could get two or three different tasks done. I was wrong; we’re still finishing the very first task. Granted, it’s been at least 10 years, probably more, since we tried to clean out our clothes closet completely, but I felt that it was doable. Turns out it was one enormous elephant, and we didn’t finish. Yet.
When it comes to improving your health, it’s just like eating that elephant: most of us are too optimistic about what we can do within specific periods of time.
- “Three months until the wedding? I could lose 40 pounds.”
- “My HbA1c is 6.8? I can get it down to normal in a month or two.”
- “My blood pressure has sky-rocketed to 195/110? I could handle that in probably a few weeks by getting some exercise and eating better.”
Is it possible to achieve those goals? Maybe. Most likely not, at least not in that time frame, because you’d have to consume too much of the elephant too often. The likelihood is that you’re going to get tired of the taste of elephant and quit before you get there.
Setting realistic goals is difficult when it comes to your health. What’s even more difficult is to understand that you have to make a commitment to take long-term control of your health; short-term plans rarely get the results you want. That means you’re going to have to commit to eating a little better. Eating a little less. And moving a little more.
What are you prepared to do today?
