"Patience is not simply the ability to wait - It’s how we behave while we’re waiting."
- Joyce Meyer
Patience gets a really bad rep. And rightfully so. Who thrives on being patient? Who likes waiting for the all the good stuff to unfold in our lives? Well, what if we turned being patient into a game that can pay big dividends when played correctly? This is something we can do for any area of our life where we are looking to make some positive changes that benefit our well-being.
All of the big positive changes I have made in my life took time to start seeing the results. Since big change starts with small steps, I decided to track the progress of my most challenging goals. By not tracking my progress regularly I found it easy to lose interest or give up on daily regimens that I knew would help improve my quality of life.
A big accomplishment for me was losing more than 40 pounds over six months. In January 2017 I was 253 lbs. I set a goal: Every week until I was under 210 lbs. I wrote my weight on the top of my toilet tank with a dry erase marker, minus how much weight I needed to lose and my goal weight of 210. Example: In March 2017: 226 - 16 = 210. In June 2017: 213 - 3 = 210. I only weighed in once a week, but I was forced to look at my weight every morning and I was determined to hit my goal!
Three years later I remain below 210 with discipline, but I got there with patience. I feel so much better mentally by taking better care of myself physically. I have also used the visual check-in method for other areas of my life where I am looking to be more disciplined including journaling, strength exercise and time in nature.
For this blog I write down the total number of subscribers I have every day on a calendar. I'm not concerned with how fast the number grows. The process of striving toward my subscriber goals has become this game where every day I get an opportunity to help people level up in their own lives. I don't even have time to think about being patient when I'm so busy being productive and enjoying the ride!
More Wellness!
