When Obstaces Don't Matter

I don't know about you, but the calendar seems to go into hyper-speed between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Once the leftover Thanksgiving turkey is put in the refrigerator and the Christmas decorations come out, the days start to fly. 

Between the decorating, shopping, family get-togethers and holiday parties, the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas can feel like one obstacle after another for those of us who are either on our weight loss journey or focused on staying the course in Maintenance.

I recently read a quote that said, "The only time when our obstacles matter is when we take our eyes off the goal."  That's a good quote to keep in mind - or post by our computer or wherever we'll see it - as we launch into this holiday season.

Keeping our eyes on the goal is key throughout this journey, but it's critical during the holiday season when we are surrounded by distractions that threaten to get us off course.  If we're focused on what's really important to us - getting to and maintaining a healthy weight - then the potential obstacles won't matter.  We will be aware of them and have a strategy in place to make sure that we leap over them.

Think about Olympic runners in track and field.  They encounter hurdle after hurdle, but their eyes remain fixed on their goal and they sail over the hurdles.  If a runner becomes fixated on the next hurdle, it not only slows their pace but that hurdle could be the one that causes them to trip and fall.

Where do you want to be on January 1?  Focusing on that as a short-term goal can help you get through these next weeks unscathed.  More importantly, how are you going to look and feel when you're at  your goal?  That's where you're heading - don't let anything get in your way!  You will be faced with lots of choices over the next few weeks, and those choices will either bring you closer to your goal or result in a step or two back.  Choose wisely :-)