I’m a planner. Maybe it’s because I like to do so many different things but if, I don’t have a “to-do’ list, I tend to flail from one thing to another.
I’m sure it’s also a way to cope with anxiety; my Nana always said I was a “pessimist first so I could be an optimist.” It’s true; I tend to think through - and plan for – for every possible thing that could go wrong. That accomplished, I could give Pollyanna a run for her money.
Motivation is the Main Course
Recent research suggests that we planners are on to something as long as we keep the big picture in mind. In fact, a recent article in the Journal of Consumer Research found that, when we get too caught up in how we are going to get from point A to B, we may lose sight of the why. As a result, we may lock ourselves in to a certain action plan and not see – or know what to do - when other opportunities arise that would also help us reach our goals.
Let’s say you’ve decided once and for all to lose that last ten pounds before the official start of the often-dreaded bathing suit season. You put together a plan – go the gym every day, clear your pantry of junk food, order healthy meals when you go out to lunch with your coworkers.
So what do when the gym is closed? When your birthday-celebrating work colleague choose the last restaurant in town that refuses to offer healthy menu options? Without a clear and constant focus on why you want to lose weight, you’re more likely to either a) succumb to temptation (what could I do? The Buffalo wings seemed like the healthiest thing on the menu) or b) fail to consider alternatives (Yes, the gym is closed but I can still go for a walk with a friend, exercise at home, etc.)
Dessert is Important, Too
Don’t despair, fellow planners. The plan, a.k.a., the dessert, is a very important part of our success. We’ve just got to keep the fires of enthusiasm burning while we’re executing it. We’ve got to constantly remind ourselves of the good things that will happen if we reach our goal, of the reasons why we made the decision to shed weight to begin with.
In fact, if we’re smart, we’ll incorporate this into our diet plan. Perhaps we’re going keep a list of all the reasons we want to succeed in our wallet or on our computer. Perhaps we’re going to begin each day writing a quick letter of encouragement and support to ourselves, painting a picture of how great we’ll feel once we reach our goals. Maybe we’re going to call our best friend every day at lunch so she can remind us of why we started on our weight loss journey.
It doesn’t matter how we keep the why in mind as long as we do it. And here’s the bonus; this strategy seems to be effective no matter what our goals are. In fact, the initial study dealt with people who were trying to save money!
