Most everyone wants to live better and healthier. Like many things in life, wants and wishes do not make things come true.

Doctors and other health professionals can help by giving advice and guidance, but they can’t make the changes that you need to make a difference. Only you can do that, one day at a time, one meal at a time, one walk at a time. No excuses, no put offs, no delays. If you are going to change, then change. As my mother used to say, “If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.” Only putting in the time and effort will show results.

What does taking control really mean? It means that you have to control the variables in your life rather than letting those variables control you. It means that each day you have to do the things that you need to do, moving toward good health rather than doing the same things you have done for years. The AA definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result”. It doesn’t work.

Taking control means acknowledging that you are harming yourself by your own actions or inaction then making the changes to improve the situation. I’m sure that most of you know someone who says things like, “I know I need to eat better and get some exercise” but they never really start doing it. Maybe you say that to yourself.

Taking control takes effort! Taking control means getting out of your comfort zone and developing new routines, new habits. Sometimes taking control means making new friends, associating with different people. Your old friends like you the way you are, and may try to keep you from becoming the new you.

Taking control takes time. Changes won’t come overnight. In an earlier post I mentioned that establishing new habits takes 66 days to become routine. Sixty-six days seems like a long time, but that 66 days will pass whether you stay the same or change.

It’s all up to you. Stay where you are or take control and make the change to a healthier lifestyle.