Sales Man Up Blog
Letters That Changed My Life
Success is steady progress toward one's personal goals.
Jim Rohn
Have you ever talked to yourself ? I have daily conversations. How about written to yourself ? Several years ago, my wife, who is a Medical Exercise Specialist and Yoga instructor, introduced me to a powerful concept of writing a series of letters to myself. The first letter was based around the perspective of addressing my unhealthy self in five years - being brutally honest regarding the results of my unhealthy lifestyle and poor dietary choices. Here is a brief excerpt from my letter from my unhealthy self :
“ You are in bad shape my man. You have made some terrible health choices over the last five years that have resulted in poor health. ...Now that you weigh so much, it has drastically affected every aspect of your life, including your love life….Dude, your lack of self care is hurting your wife and her career. You have done this to yourself. ….
Your cholesterol and triglycerides are elevated now, and yes, you have allowed your health to devolve to the point to Type II diabetes. ...You are so ashamed of letting yourself go downhill, that you refuse to workout or even darken the door of the gym. Not good….
Additionally, your job hangs by a thread, because your weight and poor condition has caused you to slow down and not be able to keep up the pace to properly care for your sales territory. Your energy is sapped, and your stamina is gone. ...
You are on a train track with a one -way ticket destined for a heart attack or a stroke. You missed your opportunity to change your ways, and now you must pay the price.”
How many of us dismiss or rationalize our daily choices? This is especially easy to do over the Holidays , or during stressful life situations ( COVID ?) Looking at the obvious consequences of those choices over a five year period and taking ownership , is a powerful and sobering exercise. Don’t stop there though. The next step is composing a letter from your healthy self. What would the next five years look like if you totally owned your health and fitness? Here’s an example of my letter from my healthy self:
“I want to personally thank you for the positive decisions and healthy lifestyle you've developed over the last five years. You cut out the refined sugars and reduced your peanut butter consumption, included more fruits and vegetables,and added a high intensity workout program ; which resulted in steady weight loss. ...you can now find clothes to fit in almost any department store. No more big and tall ! ...Your blood sugar is stabilized and your cholesterol is normal, not high anymore.
You and your wife are enjoying some awesome trips and vacations together in this season of your life. ...Flying hasn’t been as uncomfortable for you since you lost that additional thirty pounds. Consequently , you've had more energy and stamina throughout the day which has helped your sales career…...Your health has been an inspiration to your boys.....with your physical transformation, you are encouraging others to be physically and spiritually healthy. Great job ! “
I am three years into my five year journey, and I am ⅔ of the way to my goal. Like most humans, I get derailed in my eating or miss a workout from time to time, but reading my letters from myself always helps get me back on track. I am not operating under shame or guilt, but rather a sense of freedom and joy found in making the right choices. Join me in this journey by not letting another day go by without writing these letters to yourself! They will change your life. To your health !
Self-talk, for me, has been the biggest thing in my life. A lot of us have a dialogue that is crap. It's a crappy dialogue. We live in a world right now that is very external. Everything is very on the surface. Superficial. Everything. And what we're telling ourselves is what we see on TV.
David Goggins
