One of the most important steps toward health, longevity, and happiness is not what most people focus on. There are people in all types of health and wellness professions that live their lives teaching about nutrition, disease, exercise, movement, sleep, stress, and more, but this information means nothing without one other piece. There is a key ingredient that must be acknowledged and embraced FIRST so that goals can be achieved and health can be sustained.
The missing piece is purpose. It is the why? It is the reason that you get up in the morning, and the reason behind everything you do in the day. More often than not, when I sit down with a client, they have a vague and impassionate understanding of why they want to change. They say they want to be healthy, lose weight, or lower their cholesterol, but generally have not thought about the deeper meaning of these goals. Without purpose, all the knowledge in the world will not result in change. Change must come from within, and only through reflection can we find the strength to succeed. Health and longevity is not something that is attained with 30 minutes a day of moderate activity (though this doesn’t hurt). It is a product of the life you lead, which includes everything from the food you eat, to the place you work, to the relationships you hold, to the hobbies in which you participate. There must be purpose behind the changes you want to make, otherwise, why go through all that work?
What it comes down to is finding that emotional connection to your goals and then keeping that in front of you at all times. If you want to lose weight, start thinking about all those things in your life that will be better because of it. Write it down. Look at it every day.
Start with the basics: “I will feel better”, “I will be out of pain”, “I will have more energy”. Next, think about what that will allow for: “If I have more energy, I will be able to spend more quality time with my children.” Now we have a reason to fight; now we have a reason to change. If the underlying purpose is connected to your children, spouse, work, or some other area you are passionate about, you will have a reason to make the changes that are needed.
This is by no means an overnight process. We can spend our whole lives looking for purpose, but if we never start thinking about it, we will never find it. And I believe that it is only once we find purpose that we can truly achieve health, longevity and happiness. So start today and write down what you want to achieve and why it is important. Look at it every day and don’t stop working toward your goals until they are achieved!
