Healthy Lifestyle Changes: Drive or Desperation?
The journey to a healthy lifestyle may have moments of hopelessness and fear.
Perhaps every solution has been exhausted (seemingly) and the results are lackluster. Or every attempt made in the past has failed and there is a fear that it will never work.
The pressure of obtaining the ideal state of wellness and fitness in a certain timeframe may push us to act and make a change, but with reckless actions, without intention or direction.
That is desperation, disguised as drive.
Recognize Drive vs. Desperation
What drives you to make a change is not the same as what makes you desperate for change.
Drive comes from a place of directed determination and energetic motivation to succeed.
Desperation comes from a place of fear, hopelessness and wanting to make a change but with aimless actions.
With regards to sustaining a healthy lifestyle change, desperation can show up as trying every fad diet, “fix” or weight-loss medication, pushing your body too far physically without rest and recovery, or a drastic surgical procedure without truly considering the potential adverse effects. While these may have favorable outcomes, they may only last for a short-term.
When you are driven:
Your actions have meaning.
Your motivation allows you to be thoughtful about your approach.
You to set out to achieve for the longer-term and to thrive in situations where you could experience setbacks.
Setbacks and roadblocks are natural, a detour.
It’s how you handle the setbacks that can enable you to push forward:
Acknowledge the setback
Remind yourself why you are making the choice to have a healthy lifestyle
Give yourself permission to go forward at your own pace
Find support if you need, ask for help
Keep your purpose for change visible
Recognizing the difference between when you are driven to make a change versus when you are desperate to make a change can be the key to thrive amongst challenges and sustain your new healthy lifestyle for a lifetime.
