Creates a healthier society

So let’s quickly look at why goal setting is so important. And just in case the word “goal” turns you off, please replace it with a word that fits for you, it could be intention or objective, etc. It’s the feeling that is behind the words that is the key here. Please choose a word that feels right to you.

Goal setting is about giving us a direction to move in. It’s just like deciding where you want to go on your holiday, for example. Once you’ve made the decision, you point yourself in that direction and start taking steps to make it happen. If you don’t make a decision about where you want to go, you can’t take those steps.

Unfortunately, most people make a huge mistake when setting their goals because of a fundamental misunderstanding. And it is so easily done because we are hypnotized by society to believe that this is the way it works. But it’s not.

We have been hypnotized to believe that we live in an outside in world, that we can only be happy depending on our outside circumstances. Every marketing message is aimed at us buying into that……… we can only be happy if we drive that type of car, or wear this label, or earn this amount of money or have so many clients.

And so we set our goals accordingly because we don’t know any different. Most people are unwittingly and innocently setting goals with the premise of “I’ll be happy when I have/do/feel/be…”xyz”. Or the other one is “I couldn’t be happy if….. “xyz” happened.”

We are falling into the trap of attaching our happiness to achieving certain goals. And this just isn’t true. We are setting ourselves up for a very bumpy ride. It’s as if we tie our happiness, our security and our well-being onto our goals and put them out there somewhere in the future.

And then because we believe we haven’t got the happiness, the security or the well-being, we are obviously feeling unhappy, insecure and stressed which makes the journey towards the goal a fraught one! This accounts for why so many people give up along the way, it’s just too difficult!

So the key here is to be sure that we understand where our happiness, our well-being, our security and our peace of mind come from. They don’t come from the outside. They are already within us as human beings. We were born with them and they are always there for us to access.

None of our feelings, including happiness, security, peace of mind and well-being, come from the outside. I know it looks that way because we have been brought up by our society to see it like that. It’s an innocent misunderstanding of the way life works. Just like it was an innocent misunderstanding when people thought the world was flat.

It’s an innocent trap that we fall into over and over again, believing that our outside circumstances affect the way we feel when it’s just the opposite way round. Our thoughts create the way we feel and experience the outer circumstances, we live in an inside out world. That’s why 2 people can watch a funny film and only one of them finds it funny.

So when it comes to setting goals, it’s really important to be very conscious of why you want to achieve a goal. If it’s because you think you’ll be happy or happier because of it, then it’s not a healthy goal to set. And remember nothing on the outside can make us happy.

As I was consciously setting my goals for the year, asking myself if it was an “I’ll be happy when” goal, I had a huge insight. Every year I set myself the goal of something along the lines of having Excellent Health. As I was writing it down, it dawned on me that for the past 40+ years I have tied my happiness to that. Whenever I have any aches or pains, I am instantly disappointed because it is so important to me, and also because I consciously take so many steps towards achieving good health such as eating a good diet, practising yoga, taking supplements, etc.

Ask anyone to tell you the first thing that comes to their mind when you say the word food. You will get many different responses such as delicious, yummy, chocolate, steak, hungry, fattening, etc. My response when asked that question was “Food is Fuel”. When you look at all of these responses, they typically indicate a mindset toward food that the individual who gave the response has. In order to lose weight, or even maintain a healthy weight, it is important that the right mindset is held. Having a “food is fuel mindset” is one that will help you on your way to creating healthy eating habits.

If you go back to caveman times, the reason for those people to go out and get food was always because they were hungry. Cavemen ate in order to survive. The people of these times were never obese and always physically active. Eating happened in this manner most likely for two reasons. One was that they didn’t have all of the great recipes, spices and cooking techniques to really give their food great flavor. The other I’m sure is because; hunting could have meant certain death especially in the instance where the hunter becomes the hunted.

Now-a-days though in many cultures, man sits on top of the food chain and somewhere along the way we found out that adding seasoning like salt and pepper to our meat really makes it taste good. And people who know how to add certain ingredients together can really make one great tasting meal. Plus, there is no way you can forget about the heaven sent taste of chocolate.

There is nothing wrong with having a delicious tasting meal or snack. It is one of the many benefits of living in a society that is filled with some very talented chefs. However, something has changed in the way that we eat. Instead of remembering the main purpose of food in our lives, we’ve turned eating into somewhat of an art. No longer do we eat only when we are hungry and until we are satisfied to simply give our engines (bodies) fuel that it needs. We eat until we stuff ourselves, feeding our taste buds instead of fueling the engine. We fill our stomachs up to the very top until we are uncomfortable or miserable in our gluttony. This results in actually slowing the engine down and preventing it from working to its maximum potential. Doing these things on a continual basis causes us to gain weight, sometimes excessively, in the form of fat.

The way we should fuel our bodies can be related somewhat to fueling a vehicle you drive. You put gas in it to run, oil to lubricate engine parts and other additives for optimal performance. You don’t overfill the tank or use harmful substances. Now consider your body, and all of the systems or parts within it, cardiovascular, skeletal, muscular, and respiratory. What fuel do these systems need to run efficiently and effectively? Is how you are fueling, and the fuel you’re using, in your body’s engine allowing for the same optimal performance?

If you are looking to lose weight, the number one factor is controlling your eating habits. Start looking at why you eat, what you eat. Determine your reason for the meals you choose and when you are eating. Food should be enjoyed. Great tasting food is one of the blessings in life. However, food was meant to be fuel for the body. Not something to be eaten solely based on taste or due to boredom. As the old adage goes, “everything in moderation.” When you start applying the “food is fuel mindset” you’ll find that your eating habits will change. You won’t eat as much and you won’t eat the same kinds of food. You’ll also find that when you improve on the fuel you consume your body’s performance, including your health, stamina and energy level will improve as well. Begin applying the “food as fuel mindset and watch as healthy eating habits become your new way of life.