Our Own Sweet Time

Mar 13, 2019

What do a 50-pound weight loss and building a business have in common?

Well . . . I’m in the thick of building a business right now and the ups and downs, frustrations and elations are reminding me of my 50-pound weight loss journey.

I work one-on-one with people to help them lose weight and maintain their weight loss. But I’m also building Maintenance University, an on-line course and community for people who’ve lost weight and want to learn to live at their chosen weight forever. With almost 2 decades of experience in this area I know my way around helping people, but the business stuff is all new.

It’s taking a lot longer than I anticipated. A lot longer.

Sound familiar?

Whenever we decide to lose weight it feels like the decision alone should be enough. Poof! Pounds fall off with the first bite of an apple instead of Cheetos.

But it doesn’t work that way. (Darn it!)

When I lost 50 pounds it took 2 years.

I just heard some of you gasp.

But I have to tell you I’m thrilled. The two years went by anyway, might as well be 50 pounds lighter.

Now if someone told you that you would 100% reach your weight loss goal, but it would take, let’s pick a number, 5 years, what would you think?

Would you say, “not worth it”?

That may be the kneejerk reaction, but think about it a minute.

You could be losing weight for the next 5 years and then be the weight you have always wanted at the end of it.

Would the wait be worth it?

The alternative is you NEVER reach your goal.

In 5 years or never?

Which would you pick now?

It takes a smoker on average 6 attempts before they finally quit. Each attempt gets them closer to the end goal of being smoke-free.

What if the years you’ve tried to get to your goal weight have prepared you for the final time when you’re emotionally, physically and mentally ready?

Weight loss is achieved with consistent action. Period. If you are eating fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight.

Similarly, if you take consistent action to grow a business, it will build over time.

(What’s funny is that when I wrote that last sentence my brain immediately said, “except for business, it may not work there”. Oh sweet brain. I know you’re trying to protect me. So I thank you for that. But I know this to be true: how one thing works is how all things work. And I know without a doubt that weight loss happens with consistent action, so it must be true for business too.)

Your brain may also be talking smack. It may be saying, “oh, she can lose weight but not me. I have (insert any excuse here), so that makes it impossible.”

That's just your brain trying to protect you from the inevitable hard times that come with any risk. There will be frustrations and mistakes and setbacks. You will be required to take consistent action anyway. And when you do, you achieve the goal.

Maybe not in the timeframe you had in mind, but does that really matter in the end?

Does it?

Our Own Sweet Time

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