What I do FOR myself vs What I do TO Myself ...xpost

I met some of my OH friends for breakfast this morning and while I was talking to them about my second year post op and looking forward to my third year, I told them that I think that I think that it mostly breaks down to two things:

What I do FOR myself

versus

What I do TO myself

When I am doing things FOR myself, I find that I'm funtioning in a more planned, thoughtful mode. I am thinking about what will best serve my long term goals. When I think in terms of meeting my long term goals, I make decisions that empower me. They make me feel good about what I'm doing for me. I tend to make healthier decisions because in the long term, I want to live a longer, healthier life and those decisions move me in that direction. This includes decisions about what I choose to eat and activities I choose to engage in.

When I am doing things TO myself, I tend to find that I'm functioning in a reactive mode. When this happens I find that I am being less accountable to myself and tossing my 'plans' out the window. For me, this leads to doing things like reaching for carbs over protien, not going for a walk, etc... I find that these tend to be self-defeating and sabotaging things that tend to make me feel worse, instead of better.

Now, I'm looking at what I'm doing and I ask myself "Am I doing this FOR myself or TO myself." When I take the time to stop and ask myself that question, I find that I more often choose to do things FOR myself.

Do you find yourself doing things FOR yourself more now than you did before? If so, would you mind sharing some of the things you do FOR yourself? 

Barbara,

Your post caught immediately caught my attention.  Although your thoughts are post-op, I feel they apply to my place, pre-op.  I'm continually thinking about the "what am I doing to myself" in terms of the RNY - re-engineering my anatomy - vs - the "what am I doing for myself?"  which makes me feel more comfortable in the long term, for the long term.

You hit it exactly when you mention moving from that place of reactive to long-term.  I used to dwell (still do sometimes) in the state of procrastination- but when I think long-term, I feel more grounded, less rushed. More at peace.  The "do" makes things a chore, the "for" makes them a blessing. 

Thanks for your insight : )