Keep Moving Forward: The Power Of Anticipation

Envisioning and better version of you and having something to look forward to can be a powerful tool to help keep you motivated.  

Transcript

  📍 Welcome back to the Keep Moving Forward podcast, where we talk about personal transformation, weight loss, and accountability. I'm your host, Eric, AKA, the used two guy, and today we're diving into a secret weapon that can help with your long-term success. The power of anticipation and how looking forward to things can actually improve our mindset, help us stay committed and make the entire weight loss journey more fulfilling.

If you ever felt stuck, frustrated, like we talked about in last week's episode, or like your progress isn't happening fast enough. Today's episode is for you because sometimes the best way to keep going when a goal seems so far off in the distance is to engineer. Little reasons to get excited along the way.

Let's jump in. Let me ask you a question. When was the last time you were genuinely excited about something, not just kind of looking forward to the weekend, but really buzzing about something coming up? For me, it's Christmas in our house. We lean hard into the season and all that it brings Decorations go right up after Thanksgiving, if not a little bit before we play all the classics.

Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra. Heck, I even have a Bad Religion Christmas album. We've even got traditions in my area of Pennsylvania where we make sure we never miss events, like taking a trip to Jim Thorpe's Victorian Christmas. We're heading down to the little town of Burwick PA for a stop at Mays Drive-in and to see their Christmas Boulevard.

These little excitements are just part of our tradition. Just writing about them makes me look forward to that time of year. But here's the thing. I'm not talking about Christmas Day, which honestly is always kind of sad because it marks the end of a time my whole family loves. I'm talking about the weeks leading up to that big day.

Those are what I look forward to the most. There's something incredibly fulfilling about looking forward to something, planning for it, imagining it in your mind. Psychologists call this pre-experience. When you anticipate a positive event, your brain actually lights up the same way it would if you were living that event in the moment.

Crazy, right? And that just doesn't apply to holidays or big life events. It applies to your health journey too. When I started losing weight back in 2018. I didn't just focus on what I was doing that week. I was constantly daydreaming about a version of me that I thought was just around the corner. I imagine walking up a flight of stairs without getting winded.

I imagine going into a store and buying clothes right off the rack instead of the big and tall store. I imagine setting up for a 5K, then a 10 K, then maybe even an ultra. I was nowhere near those goals when I started, but the thought of them got me motivated each day. And honestly, there were plenty of days when the physical changes that were happening were happening so slowly.

The only thing that kept me going was giving myself something to look forward to. Anticipation paired with a belief in my direction. And my plan gave me that reason to keep pushing because I really wanted to see those visions become reality. And here's the wild part. Most of those things I imagined they eventually happened.

Maybe not exactly like in my vision, but the drive, the fuel that came from imagining it in the first place certainly made a huge difference. Yes, it took a ton of daily work and focus, and there are still tough days and unexpected setbacks, but I continue to create little moments in the future to look forward to and to use the anticipation of those events as a motivator every day.

Look, you don't need to be planning a marathon or a massive transformation to tap into this power. Maybe you're planning to hike a new trail when the weather warms up. Uh, buy yourself some new clothes when you hit a milestone. Sign up for that run or charity event, or take a trip you've been putting off.

These things don't have to be extravagant. Sometimes the anticipation of something small but meaningful can do more for your motivation than anything else. Okay, here's a personal example. Last September, my wife and I planned a weekend getaway to stay at the Harry Packer Mansion in Jim Thorpe, which as I mentioned above, is a small town not too far from us that we just love.

We were gonna stay in the main house, which was the inspiration for the Haunted Mansion in Disney World. Something else we love. So on Saturday night, an additional benefit was we're gonna be part of a murder mystery that takes place in the mansion. For both of us. This was something we really looked forward to for weeks.

It was to celebrate our anniversary, but we were doing it a month later and it certainly didn't disappoint. We had a blast, and even though we were only gone for 48 hours, it meant so much to us. So one of the Christmas presents I bought my wife this year is a return trip for this coming September. When a day gets long or I just need a little boost, I'll think about that trip and it gives me a little.

Shot of dopamine. That makes me feel happy and gives me something to look forward to. So let's talk about strategy because this is where you can actually start using anticipation instead of waiting for it to show up. One, visualize your future self. I know it sounds a little cheesy, but picture this, you six months from now, how do you feel?

What are you doing differently? What's easier now than it is today? Maybe you imagine walking your dog without stopping to catch your breath. Maybe it's trying on clothes you've been keeping in the back of the closet. Maybe it's finishing your first 10 mile bike ride. Close your eyes, see it and feel it.

That version of you exists. They're just waiting on the other side of your consistency. Two set short term goals and events to look forward to. Long term goals are great and they're critical. But what keeps us engaged week to week are near future events. Mark something on your calendar, a hike, a concert, a new season of your favorite show, even a dinner with friends.

Then pair that with a healthier behavior. I'm gonna feel strong walking the city on that trip. I wanna feel light and energized by the time that concert rolls around. That dinner's going to taste even better if I know I've stayed consistent leading up to it. Number three, celebrate along the way. Part of anticipation is enjoying milestones, not just the destination.

Did you drop five pounds? Celebrate it? Did you go a full week sticking to your food plan, celebrate it? Did you show up for yourself when it would not have been easier not to? That's worth celebrating too. Every one of those moments adds to the feeling of momentum, and momentum is addictive in the very best way.

So what do you do when you feel like there's nothing to look forward to? Uh, because let's be honest, sometimes life gets heavy. Maybe you're going through a, a tough time. Maybe it feels like your calendar's filled with obligations, not the things that you want to do. Or maybe you're just worn out. And in those moments, anticipation can feel very far away.

But here's what I found. You don't have to wait for something exciting to appear. You can create it. Start small. Plan a solo walk to your favorite coffee shop. Schedule a FaceTime with someone you miss. Try a new recipe next weekend. Order that book you've been wanting to read. Anticipation is about having a packed social calendar or huge extravagant gifts.

It's about giving yourself permission to look forward to life, even the little things. So let's tie it all together. What did we learn today? Anticipation is more than wishful thinking. It's a powerful motivator. You can use it to stay engaged with your goals, even when progress feels slow Visualization, short term milestones and smaller words, make progress enjoyable when things get hard.

Anticipation can give you hope, and that's often what we need most. Here's my challenge to you this week. Pick one thing you look forward to. Write it down, set a date and let that excitement pull you through your daily routines. You don't need to be perfect. You just need to keep showing up and having something on the horizon that makes the whole process easier.

Some closing thoughts. At the end of the day, this journey we're all on, whether it's weight loss, personal growth, or simply trying to be better than we were yesterday. It's a marathon. Not a sprint. Heck, it's an ultra that goes on and on and on. And marathons are anything that takes a long time. They're hard, but they're also filled with beautiful moments if you pay attention, moments of hope, moments of joy, moments of anticipation moments where we can surprise ourselves by how strong we can be.

Before I wrap today, I wanna talk about one more thing that's been on my mind, and it ties directly into this theme of anticipation. As I've been traveling along this journey of weight loss and self-discovery, one question has been ever present in my mind. What kind of life am I building for myself? Not what's my goal weight or what's my next weight loss milestone?

But really. What kind of day-to-day existence am I creating through all these habits, routines, and choices? And the truth is, the more I've leaned into anticipation, the more I've built in those little joys, those achievements and meaningful experiences, the more I've realized something powerful. It's not just working towards a future version of myself.

I'm building a life I actually wanna wake up to. That's the real goal, right? It's not about fitting into smaller jeans or hitting some number on a scale. It's about creating a version of your life that feels good. One thing that brings peace, pride, and purpose, and anticipation helps do that. It gives your days' shape, it adds rhythm to the grind.

It turns routine into something more. So I encourage you right now. If you're walking while listening to this or sitting in your car or folding laundry or whatever you're doing, pause and think, what are three things you're looking forward to in the next 30 days? And if you can't think of any, it's time to create them.

It could be as simple as scheduling a walk with a friend you haven't seen in a while or planning that meal. You're excited to cook and eat. That really fits into your plan that you really love, or marking a day on your calendar when you unplug rest and recharge. These aren't luxuries, they're necessities for your mindset, your energy, and your progress.

I'll leave you with this. Every day you wake up and choose to take care of yourself every time you say no to the easy path, and yes to what aligns to your goals. Every single moment you decide to stay in the game, even when it's hard, you're not just inching closer to a number. You're building a future that's worth looking forward to, so don't just focus on the end.

Fall in love with the in-between. Celebrate those little wins. Plan for the things that make your heart light up. Let anticipation be your secret weapon.  📍  Thank you for being here today. If this episode brought you hope, clarity, motivation, or just a little spark of joy, I'd love it if you shared it with a friend or left a quick review. And as always, visit use two guy.com for more stories, strategies and support. I'll catch you next time. Until then, keep moving forward.