Remember the Big Picture

Are you tempted to give up efforts to improve yourself when the challenge seems too hard?

How do you overcome?

Do you have a conscious plan of action when those moments come? Or do you just  cross your fingers and hope the challenges never happen in the first place?

One specific key has helped see me through challenging bumps in the road.

The lesson applies to all areas of life, whether related to health, relationships, business, or self-improvement.

Allow me to share a personal experience.

I had a minor success recently that I wanted to share with my health coach. I’m supposed to check in with her once a week, but life got busy and I didn’t connect with her until the following week.

When I went to tell her my good news, I couldn’t remember what I had wanted to share! 

How could that be? It had happened only three days before and though it was minor it was a big enough deal for me that I made a note to myself to share it with her.

Yet here I was, my mind blank. 

I thought to myself maybe I had wanted to share that I had more energy that week, or that I had accomplished some bigger tasks than usual. But those just didn’t seem to have the emotional component that I remember feeling.

Later that evening I finally remembered.

I had been grocery shopping and was choosing my daughter’s favorite ice cream when I started to feel down about the fact that ice cream is not on my eating plan. Her favorite ice cream is also my favorite and I knew it would be a temptation to have in the house.

My thoughts were bringing me down and I had to act fast to change them. 

The key?

I remembered the big picture. I remembered my why!

I thought of how far I had come and how much better I was feeling now that I was taking care of my health. I recalled the reason I started this journey and the picture of where I was headed and why it was important to me. 

Because that why is meaningful to me it had the  power to move me past the weakening will-power.

I remembered my why and was able to put the ice cream in the cart without fear of my giving into temptation at home.

How do I know this strategy of remembering the big picture was effective?

I couldn’t remember the incident to tell my health coach.

You may ask how that shows the strategy worked.

I knew my favorite ice cream was in the house. It was in the freezer within easy reach. I had been present when others had been eating and enjoying it. 

Yet it had not tempted me! It had scarcely registered in my conscious mind.

And when it came time to share my success I had forgotten it had been a concern.

I had overcome the challenge by remembering my why.

Are there challenges in your life that just seem too hard to overcome?

Remember the big picture.

Remember your why. Make it strong enough with enough meaning and emotion that it can carry you through the moments of weakness.

Hold to that vision to see you through those bumps in the road.

Success is not the final outcome.

Success comes all along the way, during the journey as you pick yourself up from a stumble and take another step forward. 

Success is remembering the why and turning aside from the temptation.

Success is moving forward with confidence because you remember the big picture.

Much love and encouragement on your journey!

With love,