Me 2.0: the power of visualisation

 

Ever feel stuck in a rut? Ever feel like change is impossible? Like you're never going to hit that goal weight, never going to have the energy you did at 21, never going to be able to run that 5k in less than 30 minutes?!

I'm pretty sure those are all normal things to think and not just thoughts I've had.

But change is possible.

See that image at the top? The photo to the left was taken in early 2018, around the time I started this blog. It was taken as I was bridesmaid shopping. This was more or less six months into life back in the UK, and to be completely honest, I'd pretty much hit rock bottom. Although little did I know I would actually gain a ton more weight (OK, not literally a ton!) after this photo was taken. But this was more or less the point that I realised I was pretty unhappy with myself and something was going to have change. And so I started the blog!

Obviously I went through several ups and downs after I started writing, not to mention a couple of house moves, a major job change... lots was going on! But gradually, change happened. 

Cut to two and a half years later and you get the photo on the right, taken on my 30th birthday. You can see the difference in my face. Not just the weight loss, but also the fact that my smile reaches my eyes.

Change has taken a while. It's been slow-going. But actually seeing the difference is a very helpful form of motivation.

It's proof that change and weight loss and healthy living aren't just wishful thinking. As I've seen the pounds shift - and yes, there are still more to go - I've been learning a few tricks to help me on my way... In this post, I'll be breaking down the power of visualisation.

Hindsight vs Visualisation

Visualisation is a powerful tool. The proof is in the pudding. (OK, more figuratively than literally, since we're watching what we eat.) But seeing the weight drop off - even slowly - is helping me to realise that Me 2.0 (or maybe even 3.0 at this point) is possible. Seeing the change and the progress I've made so far is helping me to see that the end is in sight.

Much like how hindsight can be a beautiful thing - with hindsight, we see how things could have been if we'd made a certain choice in the past - visualisation can help to motivate us to keep moving forward now to see what could happen in the future.

Sounds complex, but it's not. Let me break it down.

Using hindsight, we can see what we used to be like, we can envisage what might have happened if we hadn't had that extra piece of chocolate, or hadn't given in to that late night craving, or had actually listened to that early morning alarm and gone for a run. Hindsight is literally wishful thinking. And we're good at it; we're great at looking back, great at the 'what ifs'.

Not so great at looking forwards, though.

OK, I'm not claiming we need to see the future. We don't know what's going happen in 5 minutes' time, let alone 5, or even 50 years. But we can have an idea of where we're heading and where we want to go.

In this case, it really helps to visualise the person we want to become.

Not that I mean to be going all hippy on you - "visualise that thing, think positively, and it will happen..." No, no, no. There are no guarantees in life. And this stuff takes hard work. And motivation. But visualisation is a great motivator.

What I'm saying - in short - is set manageable goals. Knowing what we're aiming for - in the short term and the long term - can really help keep us on track to reaching You 2.0.

Setting Goals

Everyone who has ever started a weight loss programme, healthy living regime, diet, exercise plan, etc. will always have had an 'ultimate goal' in mind. Whether that's something like a goal weight, or measurements, a running time, the amount they can lift... But, if that's you, have you ever stopped to think what that would really look like? What that would really mean?

For my ultimate goal, I'd like my weight to come in at around 9st 10lbs (136lbs). But how do I imagine that? This Me 2.0 - who is she? What does she do differently? What is she like?

Who is Me 2.0?

I'd like to think that me at 9st 10lbs has a lot more energy. She sleeps well at night to maintain her energy, thus contributing to a healthy weight maintenance. She goes for those 5k runs on Saturdays (maybe not when it's raining), not worrying about the time she runs it in, but enjoying the rush after she's finished. She wakes up every morning to do a quick workout before her morning shower and getting ready for work - although she doesn't stress if she misses a day... She eats well and healthily - lots of vegetables and fruit. When she is feeling stressed, she doesn't reach for the chocolate; instead, she finds something else to take her mind off things, like a fun movie or a book, or writing music, or even a quick workout or stretch... She still enjoys the odd unhealthy treat, but she doesn't let temptation win, and will always stop to check if she's thirsty before she grabs something to munch on mindlessly... She's organised enough to plan meals ahead and knows what's in the fridge - although she's not afraid to go out for a meal with friends every now and again because she knows how to jump back on the bandwagon to stay healthy...

What we've done there is build up a picture of what it means to be at my ultimate goal. We've broken it down into sizeable chunks, painting a very real picture of what a healthy me could look like. Does it mean that once I'm at my goal weight all of these things will be true? No, not necessarily, but it gives me something to picture, something to keep in mind and something to focus on.

See?! Visualisation is a powerful thing!

Now that Me 2.0 is in mind, with all of those principles and characteristics, it becomes a lot easier to focus on the track to getting there. I know what steps to take. If I want Me 2.0 to go for 5k runs on a Saturday, that's a habit I can start building up now. If I want Me 2.0 to eat more fruit and veg, that's a step I can incorporate into my diet now, slowly building up my repertoire of healthy habits until I get there.

I'm not saying I'm going to make all of these changes instantaneously. In fact, that's a bad decision. The likelihood is, that would probably last a week before I give up and call it 'too hard'. The trick is to pick one principle, build it up and make it habit. Once I've got it down, I move onto the next one. I'm making the vision a reality - slowly, but surely. Just as Rome wasn't built in a day, habits aren't made overnight. But given my visualisation of what my end goal looks like, I now have a basis on which to build achievable, smaller goals to get there.

Little by little, I can focus my efforts on becoming Me 2.0, on setting daily, weekly, monthly goals until I build up new habits that become second nature. You know what they say, healthy living is a lifestyle, not just a fad. It's going to take time. But it can happen.

And seeing the changes that I've already made and the proof in the photographs, I know I can do this.

Of course, there will be slip ups. I'm only human, after all. Accountability helps though (hence the blog).

But visualising your end goal in more depth allows you to get out of that rut. You know what you're aiming for and you have the tools to get there by setting small, achievable goals. Just keep your eyes on the prize.

I've learnt to take it slow. Change doesn't come easy. There are two and a half years between those photos and an awful lot of slog, and ups and downs. But change is possible.

I know where my sights are set. I've just got to work to get there.

Me 2.0, here I come.

Love,
Bekah xx