Rear View Mirror

How are you? I'm ok I suppose. I am a bit tired, crabby, had a long week, got loads to get done this weekend. Got to do some paperwork and generally tidy up. If I am lucky, I might get ten minutes to myself on Sunday, but I doubt it. I just don't seem to get anytime to enjoy my life...

How did that sound?

It sounded like I used to sound before I reduced down back in 2005. It was then that I would always complain about everything. If you asked me how I was, I would always reply that something ached, I was tired or generally not very happy...I didn't used to look for the good stuff and used to focus on how bad I felt...

So, let's start again!

How are you? I'm really good, had a really busy week and got absolutely loads done. I got to fly around the country meeting some really amazing people. This weekend I am going to get some work done quickly which will give me time to spend some 'Dad' time with the kids and go to a friend's wedding.

So how are you? I have asked four times now (check out the big question) but wonder what your initial answer is? Ask yourself now and see if you want to respond positively or negatively? Do you feel good or bad? Tired or energised? Stressed or chilled out? And who decided that you would feel that way? Always remember you decide what mood you are in...I can tell you now to be in a bad mood all day today but you don't have to do what I say...you can choose to be in a really good mood today and be the change you want to see in the world.

Anyway, before I leave this week, I want to mention keeping weight off. I was working with someone on Monday who said 'You do well to keep the weight off?'...this person was slim and always has been. I said 'You also do well to keep the weight off?'...she replied 'But I have never been overweight like you were... and then I pointed out that I am just slim now like she is. The past is the past and so it is all about where you are going and not where you have been. Therefore, I don't keep weight off, I am just slim. It was also that conversation that sparked my idea for this week's article.

I hope you have an amazing week and everytime someone asks you how you are, make sure that you actually think about it before answering negatively and maybe even tell them that you are doing fantastically!

Have a great week, cya Saturday

Mike ;-)

Rear View Mirror

Generally when working with people they focus on what they don't want and what's past. If they have dieted for years and years (like I did) and failed time and time again then they believe they are destined to diet for the rest of their lives and cannot maintain goal weight without constantly dieting.

It sometimes can be quite hard to get people to understand that not wanting to be fat, not wanting to diet, not wanting to die, not wanting to be the big mum, not wanting to buy big clothes is actually a really bad motivator to reduce weight and hence I talk about the rear view mirror.

So imagine this...

You are in London on a Saturday morning, you have had a bad week at work and just want to get away for the weekend so have booked a hotel in Norwich to just get away from it all.

You get in the car and decide to start driving there but as you drive along you decide to use your rear view mirror instead of looking out the windscreen, you occasionally look ahead but most of the time your eyes wander to the rear view mirror as you look at the cars and the landscape you have already gone past.

But as you are checking the rear view mirror you miss the turning to Norwich and end up lost in the countryside of Norfolk...even as you are lost you are checking behind you in the mirror and allowing that to distract you from just getting to Norwich....eventually you do get to Norwich but by this time it is late, you are tired and just got to bed....

And then imagine this

You are in London on a Saturday morning and you have a really great family party in Norwich that afternoon. It is a party you have really been looking forward to with everyone there that you love and a great atmosphere to be part of and enjoy.

You know it will take about 3 hours to get there so you give yourself 4 hours...and you head off....as you drive along you are looking ahead and smiling at how amazing the countryside is looking, on the way you spot some sheep in a field and a roadside flower stall, you see a 59 plate car and also notice how vibrant the countyside is as you come through Thetford...