Starting Over Again – Consider the Water Hyacinth
I recently read about the water hyacinth. It is a delicate-looking little plant that floats on the surface of ponds in warm climates. This astonishing plant prefers to grow by doubling itself, sending out short runner stems to create new plants.
If the water’s surface is fairly undisturbed, the water hyacinth can cover the entire surface in 30 days.
Day 1 – So small you may not even notice that it’s there.
Day 15 – Covers maybe one square foot of the surface
Day 20 – 2/3’s of the way into the month, the patch now is about the size of a small life raft
Day 29 – ½ of the surface is still open water.
Day 30 – The entire surface will be covered with no water showing.
How amazing is that? There are many things in our healthy lifestyle journey that can be likened to the water hyacinth.
So you decided over the weekend that Monday we would start our new diet and exercise program. So today you got up, exercised, and ate on plan for the entire day. Tomorrow you step on the scale and are disappointed with the results. But wait – consider the water hyacinth. The difference is still so small you may not notice that it’s even there.
Even after 2 weeks, your progress seems so small that it seems impossible to lose the weight, get healthy, keep exercising. Consider the water hyacinth. Day 15 – Covers maybe one square foot of the surface – the progress is still so small.
On Day 20 – 2/3 of the way through one month and you’re discouraged by how slowly you are progressing. But wait, your pants feel a little looser. The exercising seems a little easier. Your sticking better to your eating plan. Consider the water hyacinth – 2/3’s of the way to full coverage, yet still on the size of a small life raft.
Day 29 – You have made great progress and are starting to get excited. But you start to doubt yourself; reminding yourself that you still have SO far to go. You’re getting tired of giving up things to achieve your goal – things like sleep to exercise, food favorites that aren’t good choices, eating out with friends and loved ones. Consider the water hyacinth – one day to full coverage yet ½ of the surface is still open water.
Day 30 – You have stuck with it. You have endured the short-term pain of all you had to sacrifice to reach a healthy lifestyle for the long-term pleasure of reaching your goal. How long did it take? Most likely, longer than you wanted it to, but now that you’re here it’s pretty surprising at how quick it seemed. Consider the water hyacinth – from Day 29 to Day 30 – from ½ coverage to meeting the goal of full coverage.
Just keep on going and persist just like the water hyacinth and before you know it you’ll reach your goals.
Deborah (Debbie) Stevens is an MBA, CPA, Money Maven who offers down to earth accounting, tax and consulting services, is a health and fitness coach, and jewelry designer and re-engineerer. With more than 10 years in public accounting and 6 years in private industry, her boundless energy and talents are now focused on making small businesses successful by analyzing the problems, discussing the issues, and crafting the appropriate solutions. Her strong, personal integrity, hard work, sheer determination coupled with a deep fun-loving view of life are what makes her tick. After having lost 116 lbs in 15 months, she has recently added weight loss and fitness coaching into the business mix. She is passionate about everything she does with a deep desire to help people. She is personable, down to earth, and ready to roll up her sleeves and get started on your business solutions. 
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