Every day we shed dead skin and make dust.  As with snakes, old skin must be eliminated to make room for the new. And the longer one lives, the more renewals are necessary.  Stagnation is static whereas life is motion.  So sometimes you just have to dust yourself off and   make some changes.

There are basically three things to do for intentional change: 1. Analyze the situation 2. Set objectives 3. Create a strategy.

A diary can be helpful in making these changes.

Using a diary, we can reconstruct our day and observe it from a distance. After analyzing our actions,  we can decide whether or not changes need to be made.

If changes are necessary, then objectives need to be set. Once goals are visualized, a strategy is needed to actualize them.

Lao Tzu said  “Every journey begins with a single step.” Like the one you take when walking out your front door.

A diary  can also help us stay focus and document our progress.

Here’s an  example:

1. Analyze the situation… while objectively looking in the mirror, you decide that it’s time for a change and that you need to lose weight.

2. Set objectives…you decide to lose 10 kilos in 5 months.

3. Create a strategy…. after some research, you realize to reach your objective you need to consume no more than 1200 calories and to exercise for 30 minutes every day. To help you stay on track, you keep a food diary.  You also find ways to compensate for excesses. If one evening you want to go out with friends and drink wine, remember that a  glass of wine has about 85 calories so 3 glasses of wine is about, 255 calories which means walking about 40 minutes extra to burn it off.