Are you kicking the (your) can (health) down the road?
[Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 54 seconds.]
Upcoming Guests for the Go Long Show
I’m really happy to report the next 2 guests for the Go Long show have been confirmed:
Dr. Jill Rubin Silverman, Ph.D., R.D.N. - a clinical dietician in private practice as well as Assistant Professor at SUNY Farmingdale
She is an expert in metabolic health, obesity and weight management, food science and community health (in addition to many other topics in the space)
Mim Senft, President and CEO of Motivity Care
Motivity specializes in concierge services for caregiving - for example, how do you handle situations where your evaluating if a loved one needs to move into assisted living? This topic was touched upon back in this post.
With both guests, we can take the discussions in a number of directions. Both are long established practitioners in their respective fields. Stay tuned for more information!
Go Long is about your wellness, your way! Embrace a plan that is uniquely yours!
Playing ‘kick the can’ was fun as kids but….
Let’s imagine someone you love and care about deeply, yet always belittle and disparage. You make commitments to them that you know you can’t meet and expect them to pick up the slack. You kick the can down the road and all of a sudden, your emergency becomes their emergency. You overcommit and insist they make time regardless of their existing commitments.
What if I then said that you’re treating yourself like this? As our former (and much loved) weightlifting coach said to us when we started working with her:
You are the sum of all of your movements to this date.
One could argue you could substitute the word ‘movements’ with ‘decisions’ in the above statement.
The Muppet Christmas Carol - 1992. Courtesy: Buena Vista Pictures
It’s true. The “Ghost of Christmas Future” always takes it on the chin from the present and the past. Much of it goes back to being task-focused vs. possibility-focused. You’re so focused on getting shit done in the near-term that you don’t think about the upside of making the investment in the future, especially when it comes to your health.
This is common. So here you are. At ‘the sum of all of your movements to this date’.
How are you feeling about that now?
What would you tell your younger self?
I know damned well what I would tell myself. Lots of things, but most notably - work less, laugh more with people you love. Don’t sweat the small stuff would be a close second.
So now you’re in a new “present”. You have the gift of your life experience. Perhaps you have more time and money at your disposal.
What do you think “The Ghost of Christmas Future” is fighting to tell you now?
What if instead of treating them as a ‘can’ you continually kick down the road that you considered them a collaborator? What does that mean?
How about treating your future self like your biggest ally
Now back to the original question. Would you treat someone you love and care about deeply this poorly? Unlikely. So why would you treat yourself like that?
Think about it. Why commit yourself to tasks that you have a low likelihood of completing or forcing yourself to complete them under duress?
How about considering “The Ghost of Christmas Future” in the ‘here’ and ‘now’ as you decide how you’re going to spend your time. Just like you would take into account the wishes of a partner, friends and/or family in making plans.
What if you applied this mindset to your health?
Respecting your body’s signals.
Establishing your boundaries.
Creating space to invest in your future self.
This isn’t about the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other shoulder. This is about leveraging wisdom you have gained over the years and applying it.
Treating your future self with kindness isn't just about sacrifice and delayed gratification. It's about building a more intentional, fulfilling life. It's about recognizing that present choices have future consequences, and proactively shaping your tomorrow into something you are excited about.
Are you having trouble summoning “The Ghost of Christmas Future” to help you on this journey?
This is what Go Long specializes in. Let’s look at the crazy in your life and the constraints that are holding you back from doing the activities you’d like to be doing today and in the future.
Don’t kick the can down the road.
Let’s Go Long together!
PS — Yes, I realize I’m about 3 weeks late on the Christmas reference. But who doesn’t want to keep the holiday spirit alive in some way? 🤷🏻♀️