Stop blocking your own path to success!

Want to eat healthily? But keep reaching for the chocolate?

Want to exercise? But the latest Netflix series is calling your name?

Want to get organised? But there is too much to do?

 

I still remember when I was 16 and learning to drive. My Dad took me out for practice, (after the obligatory 6 or so lessons with a professional teacher). We lived in a semirural area of Melbourne at the time. There were a lot of country winding roads, streets with blind corners and no streetlights. We had kangaroos that jumped out on the road at dawn and dusk and the odd wombat or echidna crossing the road. Trees lined the streets and there were no gutters, so if you strayed from the road, you would easily end up wrapped around a tree. There were single-lane bridges and ruts the size of what seemed liked creeks!

Learning to drive was like running an obstacle course!

So how did I not become overwhelmed by the obstacles? If all I saw were the trees, animals, ruts, bends I would have been blinded by the blockages. I would have been either too fearful to drive at all,  I would creep along at a snail’s pace, or I would be wrapped around a tree.

But my Dad taught me a very wise lesson. Focus on the road. 

This lesson has kept me alive on the roads (I have never had an accident and have a perfect insurance score) but it also taught me a lesson beyond driving. It taught me to focus on the goal, focus on the good, focus on the dream, focus on the path I want to take and the route to get there. Don’t be distracted by the surroundings, don’t get caught in the negative, don’t get stuck in the obstacles, but rather find the path through them and focus on it!

But how do I apply this to make a healthier, happier me?

When I want to eat a healthier diet – I make a list of foods I CAN eat, snacks that I enjoy and add nutrients to my diet and bring me joy. I actually write them up on my glass splashback when I want to get really focused. Sometimes I will write up cooking plans around the kitchen on the glass. It keeps me on track and focused on the YUMMY food I can eat!

When I want to amp up the exercise routine – I pull out my diary and I put the exercise time in the diary, I get the clothes out of the cupboard the night before and have it in clear view in the morning to either pack or put on. I tick off a list of the exercise sessions I want to get done in the week. I make sure I am rewarded after or during the exercise with entertaining books to listen to or a coffee shop to buy a coffee at! It is all clearly laid out in front of me and it is FUN.

When I want to get more organised – I use a very similar tactic to the exercise. I get out a diary. I have used many forms of diaries over the years. Bullet journalling was the most fun because it was rather artistic, but it took a lot of time. Now I use a weekly diary with all my time blocked out. I can see in front of me the day, its plans, the to-do lists, the self-care time, the pampering time, the cooking time, work time, study time, business time, volunteer time, friends time, family time, husband time even sleep time! I put in the weather, any goals I have both for my business or for my health. Then I follow it. I keep my eyes on the path I laid out for myself! If I can see the road ahead I can follow it!

You can acknowledge the obstacles and take them into consideration, but keep your focus on the path.  Just like whilst I was driving, if it was dark and wet I would drive slower to consider the risks, but I focused on the road!

Where are you focused?

Are you looking at all the obstacles blocking your success?

Or are you marking your path through to your goal and focusing on that?