Staying calm is key to success in anything you do.  Just look at interviews of successful people in any walk of life and you’ll find they keep their cool under fire.

I like to watch interviews of top athletes after big games.  While it’s easy to tell by watching the fans’ reaction who won, you often times can’t tell by looking at the athletes.  Fans often criticize the players, saying they need to show more emotion; not realizing just the opposite is true. The athletes know they need to stay calm and on an even keel if they are to be successful in the long run.  Those that let their emotions get the best of them most often do not achieve the top level of success long term.

Staying calm allows you to stay focused on the task at hand and gives you a much better chance at success.  You’ll often hear people refer to being in “a zone” when they accomplish something great.  When you ask them about details you’ll find they were in a calm relaxed state while they did the task.

Let’s do a quick exercise.  Think back in your past to accomplishments you are proud of.  Now think about the emotional state you were in while you were accomplishing the task. Were your emotions under control?  Was all of your energy focused on the task at hand or were you distracted by other things? 

When I think back on my life those moments always involved me being in a calm focused state.  I need to state that it is possible to be in an intense state of mind and calm at the same time.  Intensity and calmness are not mutually exclusive; in fact it is the combination of the two that causes people to do great things.

So how does this apply to weight loss?  To succeed long term at weight loss you must stay in a calm, focused state.  How many people do you know that every January make a resolution to lose weight.  They are all excited, they start out with great intensity but they are not in a calm state. They may last anywhere from a few days to a month or two on whatever they are doing. As soon as their weight loss slows or they get distracted by something, they get depressed and give up. They then fall back into their old destructive eating habits.  Do you know anyone like this, maybe someone you see in the mirror each day?

So how can you get into a calm state and stay there?  First you have to realize you are not living a fairy tale, life happens.  Like a sailboat going across a lake that has to adjust the rudder and sails due to currents and wind, to get where they want to go, you have to do the same in life.  Keep the goal in mind, realizing that there will be obstacles along the way.  Second, when those obstacles appear do not let them get you out of your calm, focused state.  Call in for reinforcements and I don’t mean comfort foods that ruin your diet (I can’t stand that term, more on that in another article). 

Call on God.  How many times have you heard in church or read in your Bible to cast the burden?  How many times have you heard to let go and let God?  When other things in life happen, don’t let them be an excuse to ruin your weight loss plans.  Get in the habit of when stuff happens calling on God and asking him to take the burden.  You may still have to deal with the problem but with God in your corner you are more likely to retain your calm state.  You can add strength to your prayer by actually visualizing handing the problem off to God and letting him carry it for you. To get yourself into the habit of doing this, start with little problems so when the bigger problems pop into your life you’ll automatically do this. 

This will allow you to separate your task of losing weight from everything else going on in your life and give you a much better chance at success.

Cast the burden and give yourself a chance to stay in a calm focused state, and remember to keep smiling, because stuff happens.

God Bless.

Copyright 2009 Daniel Wychor All Worldwide Rights Reserved