Nov 13 2007
Posted by Lesley and Donna Rose under Eye Exercises
Motivate or deteriorate – is that a choice?
Why on earth did you choose to search for eye exercises, vision improvement or whatever other combination you used to get to our website? Whatever reason it was – THAT is what you need to constantly remember. That reason will get you through the actions you need to take to improve your eyesight.
Most people we have spoken to want to get rid of eye glasses or contact lenses. Some people are seeking to prevent themselves from ever wearing lenses, or from wearing stronger prescriptions or bi-focal lenses. All are great motivators to get you to look something up on the web – but is it a big enough reason to get you through a program which helps you reach that goal? Maybe there is more kindling you can throw on the fire of your motivation.
Did you know that there are at least two major ways to motivate yourself to achieve something?
1. You can paint a picture for yourself that makes you feel so bad about what you are doing now that you simply have to move away from that scenario towards your goal.
2. The other way is to have such a great idea of what life will be like when you achieve your goal that you simply have to move towards it.
Sometimes it helps to know if you are better at moving away from a bad picture or moving towards a great one. Many people get confused in goal setting that it all must be said in the positive – but if you are much better at saying what you don’t want – then you should really keep that in your motivational kit!
Exactly what is it about wearing glasses or contact lenses which leads you to want to get rid of them?
Here are some of the things people have mentioned to us as reasons:
The Look – they hate having to wear glasses! They hate the look and they hate the little ridge or lump that gradually develops on the bridge of the nose. Or they hate looking older because they need to reach for their glasses to read a menu or the newspaper.
Fashion – frames keep changing with the fashions, and to be really fashionable you need more than one pair for different occasions – even if you have the money for all these, is this how you want to be spending it?
Time – some people spend many minutes daily looking for their lenses which adds up to an hour or so a week and over a year it would add up to a day or two of time just searching. Add up the amount of time you spend searching for them, cleaning them, fumbling with them, buying new ones – check ups, new prescriptions, choosing frames, fittings, etc.
Sports – getting the right corrective lenses for sports is very challenging – in many sports you cannot wear glasses, you need contacts, but have you ever lost your contacts before or during the game? Some people have had to give up or never get involved in certain sports because of their vision problems.
Travel – ever heard the stories about presenters that travel with one pair of glasses – which just happen to break as they get off the plane? How many glasses, pairs of lenses do you need to travel with?
Deterioration – many people get involved with eye exercises, because they fear that wearing lenses is not only forever, but they will be doomed to continually increase their prescriptions. In other words they fear their eyesight will get worse and worse unless they do something about it!
Inconvenience – having to check that you have your lenses, or the right lenses for all occasions – driving the car, reading papers, hitting balls, seeing faces at a distance, and so on.
Caught Out – some people have been caught out not wearing their lenses, one too many times. They’ve tried to fake it, but end up being accused of being rude because they have ignored someone, or not waved or smiled when someone recognised them.
Wrinkles! – we might joke about laughter lines, but we know many lines are caused from squinting because your eyes are sun sensitive, or because you just can’t get clear focus. Who wants squint lines etched on their faces?
If any of these catch your attention, then remember them for next time you think you can’t be bothered! You may well have other issues with the wearing of lenses which you can add to the pile to increase your motivation.
How about the opposite end – the going towards? How great a picture, story or feeling can you create of yourself with fantastic natural eyesight?
- What do you want to be able to see?
- What do you want to be able to do?
- How do you want to feel?
- What story do you want to be able to tell to yourself or about yourself?
- Who do you want to be like?
- Who would you like to prove wrong?
The next step in motivation is to be a little inventive. People who successfully reach goals have ways to keep themselves motivated that are personal and sometimes quirky. What picks you up and keeps you going is very individual and very important. It is important enough to spend some time considering and implementing your decisions. Here are a few questions to nudge your thought process:
Will it help you to have notes to yourself written up and visible around the house/office?
Will it help to have a pictorial reminder of your ultimate goal somewhere around the house?
Do you do well with diaries/journals – where you can remind yourself and chart your progress?
Is there a symbol you can place in your glasses/contact lenses case, at your computer, in the bathroom or on the fridge which will keep you on track?
Would you be best to make a promise to yourself every night before bed, about how you are going to implement your program the next day?
You might work best by telling someone else about your commitment and getting them to remind you or ask about your progress.
What about finding a buddy to do the program with, so you can motivate each other?
Maybe you could put a star on your calendar for every day you have actively done something towards improving your eyesight.
Whichever method to keep yourself motivated you choose – it will never work if you don’t implement it. Maybe you could do a couple of the strategies?
The very last important note, is to notice when you fall off the path of progress, and rather than beat yourself up about it, begin from where you are and keep going. We all fall off the path at some point, the difference is between people who take that as an excuse to give up, and people who laugh at themselves for being human, and choose a couple of more motivators to keep going forward!
