Every Journey Begins with a Single GPS

There I was in California, in a tiny rental car, and every turn seemed more wrong than the last. I was running late. I should’ve called. And, now, calling would seem desperate and rude. I’m an “expert” on things like control, planning and achieving. So what sort of expert ignores the instructions given them on how to use the GPS (Global Positioning System) device that came standard on the car because I figured I’d been to L.A. before, and I really wanted to Tweet the exact moment I picked up the rental car? I had no choice. I would have to figure out the GPS device myself and get to my appointment—now.

To my delight, the GPS device became my best friend. “Ol’ G.P.”, as I called him, knew exactly where I was. And he talked to me. G.P. prompted me to enter my destination address, and then turn by turn, he got me to my appointment, only 5 minutes behind schedule—my fault, not Ol’ G.P.’s.

Have you been, are you now, in a situation where you feel anxious, out of control and lost? And did you feel you should be able to handle things yourself? Every day I’m lucky enough to host a radio show, and I’m lucky that some people decide to pick up the phone and ask for direction.

One such caller, a few months ago, was Rosalee. Rosalee said she felt dead inside. She revealed to us she puts everyone else first and never herself. She described herself as “successful”—good education, good family, important job. Except there is one area where she’s a failure—weight management. Rosalee woke up one morning and found herself ninety pounds overweight.

She called my radio show, not exactly sure why and wondering what we’d say or make her do, so we put her on a diet. Yes. My show does that. And we held her to it, gave her a workout and diet plan, made my producer P.T. call and e-mail her with encouragement and tough-love, and insisted she call back. So do you need The Mel Robbins Show to help you lose weight? Maybe you do. Or maybe you just need The You Show to take your call and look after you. As I mentioned in my last entry, thinking somebody’s watching is a great way to lose weight (or break any habit).

Back to Rosalee: Wow. Overwhelming, right? Ninety pounds? Imagine the mental and physical toll that takes on your body. An easy reality-check is to hit your local hardware store, and hoist a 25-pound or 50-pound bag of sand onto your shoulders and try walking around. Walk the entire store, do your shopping, sit for a moment. Just run your errands, but keep those sandbags on your shoulders. You find out really quickly it’s a chore most of us can’t handle for more than a few minutes. Twenty-five pounds makes your back hurt, knees hurt, your pulse will race and your lungs will burn. Ask yourself again, are you overweight? If so, this is essentially what you’re doing every day—dragging around big bags of sand.

Like I needed my GPS, you need direction.

Right now, many of us are getting panicky looking at the big picture, rather than pulling back and focusing on the smaller pieces. Jobs are uncertain, companies are freezing salaries, 401Ks are shrinking, and recession is happening. Most look far, far ahead, get overwhelmed, and then get bogged down in managing the day-to-day weeds. But nothing happening “out there” should affect your “in here”. That’s essential. But more important, like with a road map or a GPS, getting from point A to point B in life doesn’t work as a “big picture” either. You don’t pull out a map in Michigan, circle a city in California, and start driving. If you have a GPS, you look into a tiny window that shows you only a few miles of your journey at a time, and little by little you get where you’re going.

Small increments.

In my last post, I mentioned the importance of laying out a road map. You can’t focus on the big picture unless you’ve outlined your route. Just as highway construction, big cities, and weather can cause us to detour, many things can knock you off your diet. So make those part of your road map. Identify things like birthdays, holidays, anniversaries and other special occasions that might require a “wrong turn,” but knowing them before you get there will help you manage your journey. I also like the road map analogy because there’s no one, single way to get someplace. And you’ll come across many obstacles… but you’ll get there.

There’s tremendous power in focusing and staying on your diet. You are in control. Control is power.

With our friend Rosalee, when she finally called back, she had lost 10 pounds and admitted she was feeling better about herself on all levels. She was seeing how controlling your personal life affects your career, and you need to have a balanced life where you feel good about yourself in order to succeed in any other area.

Let’s get you going in the right direction.

Step 1: Identify your destination. How much weight do you want to lose? Now, forget that destination.

Step 2: Program the GPS (lay out a road map). How much time, fuel and potty breaks will it take to get there?

Step 3: Turn on the GPS and get going. Exercise. Eat healthy. Get proper rest.

You’ll get there. You know where you’re going, you’ve planned, and now you’re on your way.

Mel Robbins is a no-nonsense life and business coach who has turned her expertise and love for helping people into an impressive media career. She is the producer and host of the hit syndicated radio show The Mel Robbins Show, a daily talk-radio show that changes the lives of callers through honest and entertaining coaching, storytelling and problem solving.  She is also a monthly Columnist for SUCCESS magazine. For more, check out her site.

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