Identifying Past Pitfalls

Perhaps one of the greatest characteristics of the human mind is the capacity for memory and strategic planning. Through the years, we incorporate experience that provides us with essential information for a successful existence. And our mind is a marvellous data mining machine which we can depend on for both good and bad times.

Remember the time when you were first scalded by the hot water despite the fact that you were told not to touch the kettle? I sure did. Remember the time when you fell sick because you played in the rain? Me too! Or how about the time when you ate too much chocolate only to get a terrible sore throat and acne outbreak the next day? I experienced that too!

 

Make the most of this gift that is innate in all of us. In the same vein, extend the same memory to your weight loss programmes. Take the time to note the circumstances that send you off course in your weight-management plan. Do they include having certain types of food in the kitchen cabinet or refrigerator at home? Or was it skipping a meal and then bingeing thereafter to keep up with the hunger pangs? Or did you stop by a certain bakery on the way home from work because of the allure of the cakes and bread? Or did you recall choosing a certain restaurant for a meal out?

 

Whatever has turned out to be a pitfall in the past can be a learning tool for the present and future. Once you identify the times, places, and events that have been a challenge in the past, you can begin to strategize ways to meet the challenge. Treat each episode as a learning experience. You won’t have to keep falling into the same holes. You can take different paths or build bridges. In other words, you can learn from your mistakes. Ask yourself if you could go back in time, how differently would you have approached the same situation?