What are you doing?

In a previous article, I asked the question: “What are you thinking?” When it comes to health, most of the time we are thinking too much and not getting anything done. We all want to be healthy, but how many of us are taking action and living as healthy as we want to be? That is why I think the more important question is: “What are you doing?” That is the next step in the process.

What is the process I am talking about? This is the process of health. As I illustrated in the article¸ “The Process of Health”, it takes more than just wanting to be healthier. Simply wishing to be healthier is not going to get it done. It sounds funny, but without realistic goals and a plan, we are wishing we were healthier.

What is the right plan? The plan has to be yours. No two people have the same plan, but there are some similarities in the structure. That is the process of health. If you use this process you will be able to see success on your journey toward healthier habits.

Thinking
Doing
Adjusting
Doing more

These four steps sound simple enough right? The trouble is not getting into one or another. The problem is getting from one to another. Often we get stuck in one stage and can’t get going on another. When this happens, we either stay put or quit. Staying put is
not going to get us anywhere and quitting is the definition of failure.

No one sets out to fail. We all want to succeed. In order to succeed, we need a plan and a process. This process works for everyone. No matter what your goals are, you need to have this in place in order to reach them.

Now that we have revisited the process, let’s take a look at the next step in it. Doing. We covered thinking and why it is not enough. Now let’s cover doing and why it is so important.

What is the first question you ask when starting something new? The first few questions should involve what you want to accomplish and what you will do to accomplish it. This takes some thought, which is why that is the first step in the process. If you jump into doing without thinking, you don’t know what you are doing. Without thinking, what are you going to do?

Hopefully that is something you’ve already decided on. As soon as you make that decision, you can start the next step: doing! What you do is what determines everything. Are you going to be successful? Are you going to make progress at all? It all depends on what you do.

If you don’t do anything, you know what will happen. Taking the time to think about what you want is a big step. That is how you determine the right action. Thinking doesn’t lead you to do nothing. Thinking leads you to action and now you can decide what that action should be. What should that action be? It all depends on your goals. No matter what your goals are, there are specific actions that will lead you to the desired results.

If you’re trying to lose weight, what are you going to do: Watching your portions is a good action. Exercising more is also a good action. We all know that without really thinking. The actions you take will be more accurate and successful if they fit your routine. More specifically, what do you need to do to watch your portions more consistently? What do you need to do in order to get more exercise?

It is these steps that are going to make the difference. You’ve thought about the ways you can be successful. Now you have to do them so that you can make it happen. Until you start doing something, you are not making any progress toward your goals. Until you start watching portions and exercising, the weight will not come off, no matter how badly you want it.

So, you’ve thought about what you want. What are you doing to get it?