From 2008 to 2009 - Going Ahead

SHARE THE JOURNEY

I wrote a long post and won't repeat it here, but please read it if you get the time. It looks back on 2008 and forward to 2009.

In 2008, I wanted to help others struggling to lose weight by giving them my secrets and tips - things I learned from many other people who went before me and helped me, because I found that traditional wisdom (eat right and exercise) was not enough.

Granted, you still need to exercise and find the right eating program for you, as well as drink plenty - and I mean plenty! - of water, and I'm going to help you figure those things out, too. However, what I saw from my interactions with LOTS of other people, through the eDiets.com website, was that you would not succeed unless you had "the eye of the tiger" - that dedication - that COMMITMENT - to making it work.

Because of my experience at working in making change happen, and later studying change management in a top business school, I was able to see that if that particular element was there, the person could do it and would, if they could figure out their "hazards" and build a plan to work around those hazards. If they didn't have that commitment and dedication, it was not going to happen, no matter how much they wanted it. As Anne Sexton once wrote, "Need is not quite belief."

Change management begins with the need for someone willing to fall on their sword for something , for someone who believes that strongly in making that "something" happen. Otherwise, something will always come up.

Today, I have recommitted to being healthy, having let things (an engagement, a move, etc.) come up this past year. Last year, I talked about commitment to those of you who read here. To those new - please review the earliest posts. I hope to organize these in an easy-to-find fashion in the next month and move to an easier-to-navigate website, taking everything with us (losing none of the archives).

What I am going to do now, this year, is go from this - a public confession of my commitment, -not only to being back in shape but to sharing the entire journey with you so you can go with me or follow along, hopefully taking what helps you and adapting other tips so that you reach your own personal health goals this year.

The last part is what reaches down and helps someone else along this path because it is when you touch on the psychology of what we are going to face - not just the tactics.

During this change, we will have to face ourselves and buttons that push us and people and situations that push those buttons, and each of us will have to develop our own plan for how to handle each situation. We will each run into different things at different times, but having gone through this before, I am here to answer any questions and provide tips that have helped many others before. There is no one shoe to fit every foot; there are a variety of shoes for every occasion and you must select the one that works best for you. I will only help you see all the shoes.