One of the most critical components of any endeavor is a clear vision. In weight loss, a vision is usually misunderstood or flat out missing. To be more clear let’s define what a vision is not. A vision is not losing 10 pounds. A vision is not running a 5k. A vision is not working out more or eating better. The first two are outcomes and the latter are abstractions. None of these are visions.
Unfortunately, what a vision should be isn’t entirely defined either 🙂 But over the years I have found one analogy that I like to use to explain. For this I turn to the world of business. All companies have mission statements (or at least they should). A mission statement is a summary of the aims and values of a company. Nike’s mission statement is “to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.” Apple’s mission statement is “to bring the best user experience to its customers through innovative hardware, software, and services.” These are two of the most iconic brands in the world and their mission statements help us understand why.
Neither Nike or Apple talk about being profitable, beating the competition or accomplishing a quantifiable outcome. Each company has an overarching philosophy behind how it operates. Now it’s great to have goals and benchmarks. But without a mission statement or vision, goals and benchmarks can miss what they are actually trying to accomplish.
With regards to weight loss, most people usually select some arbitrary number of pounds they want to lose and then move forward with some sort of plan. How much weight they want to lose, and more importantly why they want to lose it, are rarely given a second thought.
When I first became a personal trainer one technique that was taught to me was to keep asking why. So when I saw a client for the first time I was supposed to ask why they came to see me. If they said to lose 10 pounds I was supposed to ask why they wanted to lose 10 pounds. If they said to be healthier I was to ask why they wanted to be healthier, and so on. You can see where this is going. Ultimately, someone might want to lose weight to set a good example for their children. Or they might want to be able to do certain activities without feeling physically strained. One characteristic of both of these is there isn’t a finish line. It’s not like someone will lose some weight and stop wanting to set a good example for their kids or want to be stressed during physical activities.
If you haven’t taken the time to think about your vision, it’s worth setting aside time to do so. A great vision will help you set appropriate goals and benchmarks. Great visions will also help you do things when you don’t want to do them and get you through any setbacks you encounter. Go into 2020 not just with goals, but also with a vision to guide you into the future and beyond!
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