A Book I Want to Read: Switch

Switch- How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip Heath & Dan Heath

I belong to a study group of teachers. We get together once a month to discuss our profession. We do it with protocols and get a lot done in a short amount of time. We are all committed to this group and have found something very special since we are all very passionate and want to be the best teachers and people that we can be.  The librarian brought this book to the study group this month and had us read the first chapter. I want to read the rest of the book, but so far this is what I got out of it- 
 
The chapter explains this great analogy to explain what is happening in ones mind when trying to make a change-
The emotional side is the Elephant and the rational side is the Rider. The Rider is smaller than the Elephant so the Elephant wins most of the time when it comes to direction. Another way that helped me see- the Elephant is the passion and the Rider is the planner. When the Elephant has a ton of passion and no rider you get an Elephant that is charging around with no direction. When you get a Rider with no Elephant to ride you have no motivation.  When you get both to move together you can get change to happen with ease. 

I was thinking about this in relationship to my lifestyle change and how I am the Rider: the planner, the reader, the researcher, the experimenter and it took me a long time to get started on this change, but once the Elephant in me became passionate about taking care about myself it propelled me to do just do something about it.   I needed a crystal, clear path one that would get me to my goal weight, to the active lifestyle and the balance in my life so that I can be my personal best.  The 100 Days of Weight Loss Book, this blog, Mo and my magic notebook has put me on a path where I am accepting the wisdom within myself and I am gracefully starting to finally be the person I like to be. I thought I was only going to lose weight during this healthy lifestyle change, but obviously it is much more than that and so thankful of the doors in my mind it is opening. Everyday that I stay on this journey it becomes easier and not too much of a struggle. I feel that my "toolbox" is getting some great new tips, tricks, inspirations, motivators that I can use daily to keep me tuned up.

I am looking forward to getting this book and reading more to understand change.  

REMEMBER-
YOU, THE RIDER, CAN DO IT!
THE ELEPHANT WILL TAKE YOU THERE JUST ONE MORE DAY!
NEVER EVER GIVE UP ON YOU PATH!

Always,
Mer